


Invicta

by mansikka



Series: The Last of the Dying Sun [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Discrimination Against Downworlders, Immortal Alec Lightwood, M/M, POV Magnus Bane, Politics, The Clave (Shadowhunter Chronicles)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-14 07:24:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13585158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: Magnus and Alec return to New York to find a completely different city to the one they'd left. With Downworlders disappearing, rumors of mistreatment, and evidence of the Institute's cruelty on the faces of some of the people they know, it's time for the Downworlders to unite and take a stand. What will it take to make the Clave see reason?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And the final part. Here's where all the political stuff really gets seen, with Magnus and Alec navigating their way through it with more than a little help from their friends. It's probably already pretty obvious, but the Downworlders haven't been treated very well at all; you'll see some of the outcomes of that in this part. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :) x
> 
> **also, a headsup; despite Alec's warlock mark, this isn't a wing!kink fic, that was never the intention of this story, and there will definitely not be any scenes in this part that explore that**

"The Clave is calling this previously unknown demon a _Victa_ demon, for now, as we make attempts to classify it officially," Izzy said, rolling her eyes as she did, then leaning forward to pick up her glass from the table and shuffling a little closer to Alec on the couch.

" _Victa_?" Alec repeated, with a snort. "As in... _conquered_?"

"How very modest," Magnus added, with loathing in his throat. Less than three hours back in their apartment behind more warding and protection than he’d had in place in years, and already Magnus was sick of the Clave’s arrogance.

From the official-looking letter from the Clave for Alec that had put a scowl on his face for reading, to the arrogant note shoved under their door from the New York Institute reminding them that the new segregation rules meant their apartment was no longer in warlock territory, and ending in the _official_ declaration by fire message that Magnus was no longer the Institute-recognized High Warlock of Brooklyn; there was little Magnus detested more than being made to feel unwelcome, especially in his own home.

"They know I’m here—that I’d come here," Izzy said, concern written across her face. "I needed to see you Alec. But I don’t want to put you in any—"

"Please," Magnus laughed, raising his hand in dismissal. "There is no way the Clave—or anyone—is getting in here, without me knowing about it first."

"Magnus," Izzy urged. "Jarod Rivus, the new Head of the Institute, he's worse than—he wants to change everything. Alec, he's deliberately undoing all the things you had in place. The Institute isn't even focusing on things like new missions or monitoring for breaches; all he's interested in is _putting things in order_. You need to be careful; both of you."

"We'll be careful," Alec replied, smiling in reassurance. "If he was that desperate to get to either of us, do you really think they wouldn't have been waiting for us when we got here? Or set up some kind of… I don't know, alarm or something, to notify him when we got back?"

"But they could have followed me here—"

"How?" Alec laughed, looking around the room. "Magnus portaled you directly from your room. Unless they've all activated Invisibility runes and are staring at us right now—"

"Which, again, wouldn't happen," Magnus smiled. "There is no way for anyone to get in here who I have not given permission to do so."

"I want you both safe," Izzy said, sighing but appearing to relax a little. "And if he says you're breaking this segregation rule, which, I suppose, technically you are—"

"If it makes you feel better, I can relocate us to the _warlock zone_ temporarily, if there is any sign of trouble; though I have no intention of being forced from our home," Magnus offered, watching Izzy hesitate, then shake her head.

"It's an Institute rule, not a Clave rule," Alec added, "which means it's not even _legal_ yet. Of course, it's not like any Downworlder can call up the Clave in Idris to do anything about it on their own. That's why it's holding—for now."

"If you're sure you’ll be safe here—"

"Izzy," Magnus smiled, "the Clave could have found us with relative ease during our time away, yet did nothing. Do you truly fear they are going to attempt to come after us here?"

"He is the High Warlock of Brooklyn, whatever _Jarod_ tries to say," Alec added with a nod to Magnus, a proud smile on his face that Magnus winked at him for over his glass.

"And besides, " Magnus continued. "Their occasional _suggestions_ that Alec come in for assessment are half-hearted and have amounted to nothing; the efforts here by the Institute whilst… unpleasant and disruptive, are disorganized and without real leadership or guidance. Their behavior of late speaks of a Clave that is fractured, miscommunicating, and with no clear plans in place to achieve what it believes it wants. This may very well be an opportunity to resolve many of the problems we are facing within the Shadow World. We just have to find a way to navigate through it with as little difficulty as is possible."

"So how come they let you back here suddenly?" Alec asked, his own concern for Izzy just as evident as hers for him.

"I was only allowed back to the Institute to help with the laboratory," Izzy told them. "They’ve basically been following me around since I arrived. They'll notice you portaled me here from my room, Magnus—"

"Izzy," Alec said, reaching out to squeeze her into a one-armed hug, "it’s fine. We’re fine."

"I didn’t want to lead them to you," Isabel said a little softer, still full of such worry for them both that Magnus half-wanted to cross the room to sweep her up in another hug.

"Isabel, please; don’t worry," he smiled instead, urging her to take another sip of her drink. "Now; is it true that Raphael is being kept in the Institute?"

"What?" Izzy asked, wide-eyed as she lowered her glass again.

"Simon called me," Alec nodded. "He said Raphael was called in by Jarod for questioning when they found him in an area he wasn't supposed to be in, and that he hasn’t seen him since."

"He’s not in any of the cells if he is," Izzy replied, her eyes darting between them in further concern. "I checked. I mean, not specifically for anyone, but I wanted—after everything that I’ve heard, I needed to know."

Magnus didn’t know whether to feel more relieved or fearful, unable to get the image of Raphael's previous treatment in the Institute from his thoughts; wounded at Aldertree’s hand both as punishment, and to get _his_ attention. "He isn’t answering his cell; in fact, it's going straight to voicemail. I’ve tried several times."

"We’ll find him," Alec replied, looking to Magnus in what he thought was supposed to be reassurance, though with too much concern in his own eyes to bring him any relief at all.

"We will," Izzy agreed softly, though with more determination, but even her expression morphed into one of doubt.

"So? What do else you do know? About everything; what’s been happening?" Alec asked after a long pause, turning a little more on the couch towards Izzy, though his eyes repeatedly darted to Magnus, a look which he answered each time with a smile.

"That’s your first question?" Izzy teased, leaning into him. "You’ve been hiding away from us for weeks—nearly three months—perfecting these _powers_ of yours—"

"They’re not _powers_ —"

"And you don’t want to show them to me?" Izzy finished, with an easier smile.

"Alexander is becoming quite accomplished," Magnus told her with a fond smile of his own for Alec when he ducked his gaze to blush.

"See? So, spill, big brother; let me see what you can do."

"Izzy—"

"C’mon, Alec," she pleaded, using a tone of voice Magnus knew Alec couldn’t ignore.

Alec stared back at her for almost a full minute before sighing, then gave a sharp nod in defeat. His eyes found Magnus’ again for support for a moment before he snapped his fingers, refilling Izzy’s glass of wine even as she raised it to her mouth, laughing as she spluttered in surprise, then summoning an overflowing plate of grapes to the table for them to share.

"Your magic," Izzy said in awe, snatching Alec’s hand back and resting it palm up against her leg, her fingertip swirling through the flare of it, before she looked up at his face in awe. "Alec; it’s beautiful."

"Isn’t it?" Magnus agreed, receiving another blushed smile from Alec.

"What else can you do?" she asked, watching as the emerald flame-like swirls chased around her fingers.

"I have a lot to learn," Alec sighed, "but I can do stuff like this. Glamor. Some wards. We did some simple incantations—"

"He’s being modest," Magnus smiled. "It’s true that there is much for Alexander still to learn, but he is progressing far quicker than he would be doing were he not as dedicated as he is."

"You were always a quick study," Izzy said with pride, nudging into Alec's side.

"That’d be you," Alec countered, echoing her smile as he nudged back. "Now, can we get back to my question? What do you know?"

Izzy sighed, took another sip of her drink, and sank back further in the couch. "Idris has divided the Institutes into two categories; those that are _acceptable_ , and those that _need guidance_."

"Let me guess," Alec huffed, "those _acceptable_ already do the Clave’s bidding by the book, word for word, don’t question anything."

"Exactly," Izzy agreed. "I’m sure you can already guess which category New York fell in to."

"Is that why they sent you, Jace, and Clary away?"

"In part," Izzy agreed with a hesitant smile. "They reorganized Shadowhunters all over the world, calling it _training_. But it seems like anyone who would question their actions or not follow direct orders were sent to the Institutes that would… train that out of them."

"You are all so troublesome," Magnus teased, so happy to see Alec and Izzy together, even if it might only be for a while. When she'd arrived through the portal, the only thing she'd done was rush at Alec for a hug; no questions, no demands for explanations about his new immortality, nothing but open, honest relief at being able to see him. Magnus already loved Izzy, but to see the way having her there softened the anger in Alec's expression ever since reading that letter from the Clave made his heart soften even more for her.

"We are," Izzy agreed with a wide smile for him. "We were always going to be sent away, and split, when it came to something like this."

"And they were monitoring your calls? Messages? Everything?" Alec asked, his jaw set in fury that Magnus felt himself.

"Yes," she nodded, "it was impossible to speak to anyone outside of the people I was working with. If it wasn’t for Mom, I wouldn’t have had anyone to speak to at all. No one wanted anything to do with me."

"Why?"

"Gossip travels," Izzy shrugged. "There are plenty who already think poorly of me for my… _friends_. By the time I arrived in Idris, I already had the worst reputation imaginable."

"Izzy—"

"Don’t worry," Izzy assured Alec, leaning into his side. "I can take care of myself."

"But—"

"They sent me back here to help run the lab; I don’t think the person they put in place even knows how to use a light switch," Izzy laughed. "I have no idea what they've been doing in all the time they've been here."

"And when did they decide that? To bring you back?"

"Oh, just about the same time they realized _you_ were coming back from the sound of things," Izzy replied, rolling her eyes once again.

"How would they know that?" Alec demanded, looking over at Magnus in alarm. "We didn’t tell anybody."

"They must be monitoring all cell phones; Downworlder and Shadowhunter," Magnus sighed, groaning to himself at the thought of both Luke and Simon calling them as regularly as they had been doing, and what problems that might have caused for them both.

"But how?" Izzy asked, looking between them in shock. "How could they do that to the Downworlders without their knowledge?"

"It’s on the list of things we need to work out," Magnus replied, a mental list he’d been compiling being added to continuously ever since they’d decided to come back. "When did you get here?"

"Probably an hour or two before you," Izzy told him, looking contrite. "I probably should have held off on calling—"

"They were always going to monitor you, if they already intended it," Magnus reassured her, though knew he was unable to keep the worry from his eyes.

"And Jace? Clary?" Alec asked, reaching out for the plate of grapes to offer Izzy and not withdrawing it until she took a handful.

"Jace is Jace; annoying the hell out of the Los Angeles Institute," Izzy said with a pleased smile.

"Yeah, we heard that. Is he still insisting on hanging out with Downworlders just to piss ‘em off?"

"I don’t think it’s _just_ to do that," Izzy replied, "but from what I hear, yes. Clary’s dealing with the constant reminder that she is Valentine’s daughter, but Mom says she’s doing okay. Even had some time alone to practice some runes. Mom’s been to see them both."

"And Max?" Alec asked, with a softness in his voice that made Magnus’s heart ache.

"Annoying his trainers. Speaking out of turn. Questioning every word that says anything derogatory against Downworlders," Izzy added, with an even more prideful smile. "I am so glad we had the chance to have him with us here in New York for a while to see how things should be between us all."

"Yeah," Alec agreed, though there was still doubt in his voice. Then he leaned across the table to snatch up the letter that had burnt that scowl into his face, dropping it in Izzy's lap. "I came back to this."

Izzy flattened the page out to read it, her face soon echoing that scowl. "What's this supposed to mean?"

"You tell me," Alec huffed, sinking back deeper in the couch.

"' _...future investigations may require your input to determine if the breach of the rift on the island north of Fortaleza was deliberate. We will also need to determine if the loss of your angelic blood was a deliberate act?'_ " she read out, incredulous. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I like this part," Alec added, leaning over and pointing a line out. "' _Although there is no precedent for a trial for treason on account of the willful choice of a Shadowhunter choosing to become a Downworlder, it remains to be seen whether such a trial needs to take place, if it is established that such a choice was made. Particularly if this choice led to the breach that cost the Clave so much.'_ "

"This letter doesn't even tell you anything," Izzy protested.

"It tells me plenty. It tells me they think I asked for this, and that I made some kind of selfish deal to become a warlock, and the rift happened as a consequence."

"But—"

"It also says they know they've got nothing to pin on me, so they're just empty threats," Alec added, with that scowl returning even deeper.

"I enjoyed the part where they invite Alec to present himself for a physical examination in order to establish his new abilities, to ' _test their usefulness to the Clave_ '," Magnus said, with a scowl of his own. "The very Clave which he has been forced from, and advised not to return to."

"Unless I'm _useful_ ," Alec muttered under his breath.

"Is this to prove that what they're accusing you of is true, or to use those new _abilities_ as a bargaining tool to lessen your punishment?" Izzy asked, livid.

"Either way, it's not happening," Alec shrugged. "They're right; there is nothing in the law about any of this. This letter's nothing but an empty threat. I don't know why they even bothered to write it."

"Probably to appeal to your sense of _duty_ ," Izzy told him, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, well. My sense of _duty_ isn't to them; not now. Not after everything," Alec replied, a little quieter. Magnus ached for Alec, and felt his fury, in equal parts.

"So," Izzy said then, pushing her glass on to the table, "what’s the plan?"

"For?" Alec asked.

"This," she said, nodding towards the letter. "Everything here. Everything everywhere."

"The plan is for Alec and I to speak to whoever we can about what’s been happening here in our absence. Perhaps if you can do the same at the Institute—"

"If they’re tracing our calls—"

"Within these walls—within these _wards_ —the Clave, nor anyone else, can hear anything I don’t want them to. Just so long as you can continue to get here—"

"Just let them try and stop me," Izzy laughed. "The new regulations don’t yet restrict any Shadowhunter movements. I’m sure they will in time now _I'm_ back, but for now—"

"They think Shadowhunters are gonna just give up on the Downworlders? Here? With all the friendships, relationships we have?" Alec said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Some of them might; I think the New York Institute has had the most disruption. I recognized maybe three, or four Shadowhunters in the Institute. The rest must have been sent elsewhere; I’ll look through the records for who should be at the Institute when I get back to check."

"Be careful, Izzy," Alec urged, the worry on his face growing, even when Izzy reached out to squeeze his arm in reassurance.

"And you," she insisted with a look Alec couldn’t turn away from. "Everything _feels_ wrong, Alec. It’s never been like this before."

"Not in your lifetime, perhaps," Magnus said, receiving two sets of eyes staring back at him in expectation. "Alec; I already mentioned that I have experienced the unpleasantness of the Clave in the past—briefly, I know. Now, this may seem worse than anything either of you have imagined; perhaps it _is_ worse than anything you have imagined. But because of the changes we have made here in New York over the past few years, we stand a good chance of making a difference. Perhaps if we can encourage other Institutes—as well as this one, of course—to follow our lead, then the Clave might just have to listen to us."

"I hope so," Izzy replied, nodding.

"It is too soon to know what to expect," Magnus said with a soft smile for them both. "But we will make them listen; even if it takes us a while."

* * *

"They’re separating the Downworlders so they can’t form an alliance against them, aren’t they?"

Alec’s blurted out words over dinner were not unexpected, though they did cause Magnus to pause with his fork midway between his plate and mouth.

"Most likely."

"I didn’t just figure that out," Alec added, waving his fork and gesturing for Magnus to keep eating. "It was just… I was just thinking how they’ve torn everything apart. _Again_. I can't stop thinking about it."

"If they keep us separate, not only does it prevent an uprising, but it gives the Institute more ways to make us suspicious of one another, more accepting of their additional patrols for our _protection_. I’ve seen it first hand when certain… privileges are given to one group, but not to the others, and the unrest that causes."

"We did that?" Alec replied in alarm.

Magnus thought back to the New York Institute before Alec was Head, and tried to find a tactful way to answer. "Not… entirely. Though I myself have received certain… freedoms I might not have done, were it not for all I used to provide for the Institute. It's something that all High Warlocks that assist their local Institutes experience, I imagine. We should do more about it than we do; use that small advantage to benefit everyone," he added with a stab of guilt for never being sure if he did enough.

"Warlocks get given better deals, more leniency, because the Clave relies on them for wards, and other magic," Alec sighed, nodding in agreement, then taking a sip of his wine.

"That is often true," Magnus agreed, "though it doesn’t mean their general view of us is any better, of course."

"No, I know," and Alec’s smile showed that lack of belonging Magnus knew was adding further weight to his shoulders, torn between guilt for his own past views on warlocks as part of the Clave, and his new feelings of being on the other side of that judgement for being a warlock himself.

"But it isn’t just warlocks who get the best deals—those so-called _privileges_ ," Magnus added, gesturing for the plate of bread beside Alec asking for a piece.

"No?"

"In my experience—elsewhere—it has been whichever Downworlders could provide whatever has been most favorable to the Institute involved at the time. I’ve seen favoritism of vampires purely to cause friction with werewolf packs because the werewolf pack leader wouldn't agree to something the Institute wanted. Territories extended and rearranged without notice, and without involving those being asked to move. Seelies granted rights that other Downworlders haven’t been, purely because the Institute involved believed they could persuade the seelies to do their bidding."

"I’m sure that went well," Alec huffed, snatching up and ripping a piece of bread himself to dip in the sauce still on his plate.

"It did not."

"I… I guess not all that long ago, I would have tried to convince you that none of that ever happened," Alec said then, sitting back in his chair with a look that was both resigned and surprised. "I would have said it was because the Clave was attempting to make things _better_ , because it’s their responsibility to protect. But now I—and not even just now, I can… I can’t even be neutral, and say I see it from both sides."

"It’s okay if you do, Alec," Magnus smiled, not expecting for a second that Alec could, or should, entirely denounce the life he’d always known.

"But I can’t," Alec repeated, more firmly. "For the way they’re treating their own Shadowhunters, their own _people_ ; what’s that got to do with protecting anyone? Splitting up teams that work together effectively, monitoring their communication, their _threats_ to me. And that’s not even starting on what they’re doing with the Downworlders."

"I know," Magnus replied, not knowing what else he could say.

"Soon as we’re done eating, I wanna go out. Talk to people. See what we can find out," Alec said then, with a glint of determination in his eye that Magnus knew he’d have difficulty talking out of him; not that he intended to try.

"I agree. We will have to glamor ourselves—"

"Like the shape-shifting rune?"

"I… presume so, yes," Magnus smiled.

"It’s easier, sometimes, thinking about these new things I’m learning, if I can just… match them up with a rune I would’ve used in the past," Alec explained, folding his cutlery neatly over his plate, and draining his glass.

Magnus was sure if he hadn’t insisted he was hungry himself, Alec would have wanted to go charging out the moment Izzy had returned to the Institute. But Alec’s magic was still new, and not only did it need replenishing more often than Magnus’ own, but the continued use of it often left him starving, and tiring more quickly as he got used to it. In fact, much of their time in England had been divided between Alec learning how to use his magic, then eating to make up for the expended energy, and then having to sleep everything off. Magnus knew he didn’t need to tell Alec to focus, but a little encouragement to take better of care of himself he couldn’t help if they were to walk the streets of New York and had no idea what to expect.

"I suppose there will be many similarities between your runes and your magic," Magnus smiled, eyes lingering over the faded marks of runes barely visible on Alec’s skin.

"I just don’t know how to access it the same," Alec added, doing as he had taken to doing of late; turning his hand palm up and watching the swirl of magic pouring from it on command. "It’s not like I’ve got a book of runes to memorize, or a stele to activate them."

"I suppose the magic is, in some ways, a combination of the two. Though I would say there are numerous books on warlock magic that you might find… interesting, and useful, aside from the one you began to read before we left. And we haven’t even touched on spell work yet; you will have endless ingredients, incantations, and other things to learn about that."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Alec laughed, gesturing for Magnus’ plate with a wriggle of his fingers once he was finished, then standing and heading for the kitchen, already filling the sink by the time Magnus joined him.

"It isn’t supposed to make you feel worse," Magnus replied, kissing his shoulder and putting their leftovers away as Alec washed their dishes. He contemplated reminding Alec he could do them with little more than a snap of his fingers, but recognized the stoop of his shoulders that said Alec needed a little more time, and some physical problem to solve—even a small one—before he was ready for them to leave.

"It didn’t," Alec smiled, with a turn of his head just enough to snatch for a kiss in passing as Magnus settled back against the counter, grabbing a dish towel to begin drying their plates.

"Well, good."

"I wish I knew more already. Maybe it’d help," Alec added, sighing to himself. "I mean, I don't know _how_ —"

"Alexander, you are going to help, with all that you already know; of both magic and being a Shadowhunter—a Head of Institute. There is neither side to your knowledge that is better, or more valuable."

"None of it feels all that _valuable_ when we have friends missing, or divided up and sent away so they can’t talk. Shadowhunters _and_ Downworlders," Alec sighed, pausing from washing the dishes to lean his forearms against the sink. "If what Izzy's saying is right, there's members of my team that _need_ to be in New York and aren't, Magnus. There's two who have sick, elderly parents here, one who's—"

"We will find a way to resolve this," Magnus assured him, sharing Alec’s frustration, yet still so concerned about Alec finding his new way in the world that he wished he could portal them away somewhere again and forget about it all.

"Yeah," Alec agreed, humming as Magnus ran his hand soothingly over his back, glancing over his shoulder and giving a worried smile.

* * *

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

New York at night didn’t look any different to Magnus than before they'd left, he decided, as they walked hand in hand along a sidewalk, his eyes forever checking all around them and overhead. Beneath their glamor—disguising them as a Mundane couple on an innocuous evening stroll—Magnus could feel the tension holding Alec rigid from the grip of his fingers and the tautness of his arm. He did his best to offer reassuring glances, though when there was so much doubt he felt himself, it seemed a futile, impossible task.

"This glamor Kaeden has in place at the Hunter’s Moon; will we be able to see through it?" Alec asked, nodding towards the approaching bar, his jaw clenched in concern.

"We will," Magnus assured him, squeezing his hand once more, and huddling in tighter for the final few steps before they were there.

"And you think—I don’t know, Magnus. You think I’m… you think they’ll be okay with me being here?"

"Alex—"

"I know I used to come here with you all the time," Alec added quickly, offering him a weak smile, "but things are different now. _I’m_ different."

"Are you worried more that you will be viewed as a Shadowhunter, or a warlock?" Magnus asked before he could stop the words tumbling out, and was surprised when Alec pulled them to a complete stop to cup his face, drawing him into a deep, long kiss.

"Every time you say something like that, I worry that you think I… that maybe you think I don’t wanna be here. Or  _t_ _his_ ," Alec added with a quick glance down at himself when he pulled back, thumbs swirling over Magnus' cheeks.

"Alex—"

"I love you, Magnus," Alec insisted, kissing him again and dropping one hand to tangle through Magnus’. "I don’t care about the _how_ I’m with you, as long as I _am_ with you."

Magnus wasn’t sure how to answer, the words getting stuck on his tongue, finding himself only smiling back.

"And I admit," Alec added, shuffling closer. "I still wake up some mornings forgetting. And then I feel my magic, and I—sometimes it scares me. Sometimes it’s a shock. And sometimes I think I couldn’t have got luckier. It’s gonna take a little time to make sense of it all."

"That is only to be expected," Magnus agreed, his hands at Alec’s waist and squeezing. "And I intend to be here to help you through it all."

"I know you do," Alec smiled, kissing him again. "I know you love me, however I am."

"I do, Alec. I do."

"And every morning I wake up, if I remember I’m a warlock now, or I don’t, I still know that. And I still know _me_. So, just because I’m still getting used to the idea that this is what I am now— _who_ I am, it doesn’t mean I’d wanna go back. Doesn’t mean I’d change anything. I… need you to know that, Magnus."

"I love you," Magnus whispered, struck with an unexpected swell of emotion that had him dropping his head into Alec’s neck and holding on tight.

"I love you," Alec said again, wrapping his arms around him, "please don’t doubt that."

"I never—"

"Magnus," Alec smiled, pulling back just enough to kiss him sweetly, then slotting his fingers through the back of his hair to cradle his head, softly sighing. "When I asked about being _here_ , I only meant, do you think it’s gonna be weird for people to get used to me like this. I mean, I know it will be—"

"You’re still you; just like you said, Alexander. Perhaps there will be looks, and there will, of course, be comments. But people will get used to this probably quicker than you think."

"Yeah, I hope so," Alec agreed, absently kissing the side of his head as they pulled back again. "We’ve got too much to do to already, too much at stake, without any of that. I don’t expect people to just _accept_ me like this, obviously, not without asking questions, but—"

"Alexander," Magnus smiled, gripping on to the ends of Alec’s fingers, "they already know you. They will already share our concern about what we need to do. And besides; there is no guarantee there will be anyone we know here. Nobody may want to speak to us at all."

"That might be worse—"

"We can see who is here, then if there is no one for us to speak to, we will go to the Jade Wolf. Once we speak to Luke in person, we can decide on the best way for us to communicate to avoid this apparent _monitoring_ they've been doing."

"There’s magic for that though, right? To keep things private. Fire messages at the least—"

"We need to find a way to speak that has the least chance of being monitored. Izzy’s cell was—"

"They knew where she was going," Alec said, fury narrowing his eyes. Izzy had sent a message back once she'd arrived in the Institute to say her room door had been wide open, and a note left on her bed to speak to Jarod in person, making it very clear he knew where she had been.

"They did. I wanted them to."

"Why?"

"I think the current Head of the New York Institute is in for quite the surprise if he believes the Downworlders will not rise up against him," Magnus smiled. "I think he is in for even more of a surprise if he believes that he can tell _me_ what to do, and where I can go. Now you and I are back, Alexander, we can help with the coordination of a counter-attack on the Institute; it need not be violent, or even aggressive, but however it is going to be, it does need careful planning. Once we find Raphael, together with Luke, we will plan. We will need as much help and organization as possible, and we will need your expertise. Your knowledge."

Alec’s breath came out in a whistle as he nodded. "Of course."

"I wanted to come here to gauge a reaction. To see how the Downworlders view the current situation, how willing they would be, to be part of whatever it is we need to do."

"You think they won’t be?" Alec asked, surprised.

"I am sure the majority of them will already be furious with the Institute's latest attempts for control; particularly after the long period of relative peace, and ease we have experienced with you as the Head of the Institute," Magnus smiled. "But Downworlders are the same as everyone else; if the Institute is making promises, there will always be those who will be looking to look after themselves, and not consider the consequences of their choices on other people."

"So, we’re here to test the water," Alec said, nodding in understanding.

"Exactly."

"And we’ll… they’ll see _us_ , though, right? Not this glamor we have."

"They will," Magnus agreed, "and if the Clave are suddenly aware of our presence, then we will know someone here is… talking."

"They know we’re home anyway. Wouldn’t they assume we might come here?"

"Perhaps. Either way, this will be a test. If we need to leave, I will portal us straight back out."

"I hadn’t even thought about any of that," Alec admitted, gripping Magnus’ hand as they turned, taking the final few steps towards the Hunter’s Moon.

"There is already a lot for you to think about," Magnus smiled, nudging his shoulder then reaching for the door handle. "Shall we?"

* * *

"I can tell you; the first time Luke left me alone in this place after I'd turned, it was _not_ a welcoming place to be."

Magnus winced at Simon’s words that seemed to echo loudly around the Jade Moon, watching the tightening of Alec’s jaw for hearing it, and discreetly squeezed over his thigh beneath the table.

"It wasn’t that bad," Alec replied, taking a sip of his beer and nodding to a passing Jade Wolf waiter as they smiled. "I didn’t know what to expect, really—"

"Least they didn’t shut you in a boating shed."

"I think they, for the most part, were fairly accepting," Magnus said to steer the conversation a little, though knowing Simon meant no harm.

"They didn’t do that to me," Alec agreed, smiling. "It was more they just _stared_. I don’t think they knew what to think."

"Alexander, they will get used to this. To you; people will just need a little time to adjust," Magnus replied, and it was true. There had been no hostility in the Hunter’s Moon towards Alec, just a lot of curiosity. To see a former Shadowhunter walking amongst them looking as he always had done was going to be met with suspicion in their current climate, however Alec made an entrance. But once the majority of people in the bar had realized what had changed in Alec, that suspicion had dropped. In fact, those Downworlders who had formed tentative friendships with Alec before he had changed were openly pleased to see him, expressing their relief that he was okay.

"They’re gonna have to get used to me," Alec smiled. "I’m not going anywhere."

Magnus smiled back, squeezing his thigh again, seeing the determination set in his eyes, and felt renewed pride for Alec. His reaction to seeing the wounds inflicted on several of the Downworlders in the Hunter’s Moon from _interviews_ held in the Institute had made him furious, and the stories they’d heard over the following hour they’d spent there revealed more details of what the new Shadowhunters in New York had been doing.

On leaving the Hunter’s Moon, Alec had called the attention of the bar, apologizing for what was beyond his control, and promising he’d be part of the change to get things back to how they were—and even better than before. The way he’d stood, strong and confident, glowering for the injustice done to the people around him, had made Magnus’ heart skip; with pride, love, and respect for the leader that Alec was always supposed to be, and still would be one day, Magnus was sure of that. Just not yet sure on the details of _how_.

"So," Simon asked, smiling between them, "what’s the plan?"

"We need to talk to Luke, and Raphael."

"Luke said he’d come here after work; should be any time now," Simon told them.

"You need to get a new number, or cell phone, or something," Alec added, briefly explaining what they suspected about the Institute tracking their calls.

"And Raphael?" Magnus asked, already knowing from the way Simon’s face pinched in concern that there was no good news.

"The other Downworlders; did they tell you they think the Institute have got some kind of… prison they’re locking people up in, for no reason at all?" Simon asked, nervously shredding a napkin to make a mess on the table.

"They did," Magnus replied through gritted teeth. "How they are getting away with—"

"There’s no one to report to," Alec said quietly, squeezing his knee beneath the table. "The Clave wants control, so it's allowing the Institutes to do whatever the hell they want to get that control. The Clave wouldn't sanction a thing like that; not because it doesn't _want_ to, but because they'd never get away with it."

"They're getting away with it here," Simon said, "and they—"

"That's because they're not reporting that they're doing it; they can't be," Alec replied. "Every single thing that happens in the Institute—everything; broken steles, possible arguments between rival clans, Mundanes that get too close to finding out about all of this, it all gets reported. I'm not saying there aren't ways round that—"

"But if the Clave is unaware of sanctions that would not be approved of, then they have plausible deniability," Magnus finished for him with a grimace.

"' _That's not entirely accurate_ '," Simon retorted excitedly in an accent Magnus couldn't place. "You know. From Independence Day. With the Area 51, and the Roswell aliens, and the guy from Star Trek—"

"Anyway," Alec said, with a shrewdly raised eyebrow, "the point is, with this… overhaul the Clave is going through, it's likely this kind of thing is going on everywhere."

"But even so, how can they just lock people up with no charges?" Simon protested. "I mean, they're saying it’s because people are refusing to stay in the areas the Institute says we have to —the last time I heard from Raphael he was visiting his sister, and that’s warlock territory now—but how can they do it?"

"The Institute is using these breaches as excuses for _protection_ , to stop fighting between the Downworlders," Alec replied, slumping back in his seat.

"But they weren’t _fighting_ ," Simon insisted. "In fact, we’ve been… I mean we still have _issues_ , obviously. But we’re… we’ve all been good— _better_ —for so long now."

"We have," Magnus agreed. "Though to the Clave, all Downworlders are in dispute all the time."

"Is there anyone else missing?" Alec asked, shifting a little in his seat.

"Vampires, besides Raphael, I know of five. There's probably more."

"Maia said there’s eight werewolves that are either missing, or have left without saying anything," Magnus added. "I will need to check in with a couple more warlocks, but the calls I made this afternoon didn't tell me of any of them missing; a few that have portaled elsewhere away from every Institute, which sounds perfect, actually—"

"When this is done," Alec promised, leaning into Magnus' side with a soft smile.

"I’d speak to Kaeden, if you haven't already," Simon nodded, his smile softening for the mention of Maia. "He’s been the one warlock we’ve seen most of. Maybe he’s got ideas of being the High Warlock of Brooklyn if you’re not coming back."

"I am back," Magnus replied, indignant.

"Of course," Simon said, looking startled, "and that’s great. We want you back, Magnus; _I_ want you back. I just—"

"Hey."

Simon was saved from stumbling over his words by Luke choosing that moment to walk in, and a few minutes were taken up by greetings and orders of food and drink as he slumped down in the seat beside Simon looking more exhausted than Magnus had ever seen him.

"Simon’s been telling us about these so-called prisons," Alec said, quiet fury evident in his voice, no matter how calm he appeared.

"I heard they’re referring to them like _holding cells_ , since they’ve no real reason to be holding any of ‘em," Luke agreed. "Not that I've seen them for myself."

"But—" Alec began to say.

"A lot of it is hearsay, and rumors, but there’s something like twenty-three Downworlders not accounted for, that we think the last time anyone saw them was just before being called to the Institute for interviewing," Luke told him, taking a thankful pull at his beer and sinking further into his seat.

"Have you heard what these _interviews_ at the Institute are about?" Alec asked, frowning. "Everyone we spoke to at the Hunter's Moon said anyone who's gone to one hasn't come back. So there's got to be more than twenty-three missing already."

"The Institute’s calling it a _citizen plan_. Like a census of sorts, but apparently also checking what our intentions are."

"Intentions?"

"Yeah," Luke nodded, "like, are we intending to behave how the Clave wants us to, or are we gonna give ‘em trouble?"

"There’s literally no reason for them to be holding anybody," Alec insisted, that fury breaking through his calmness for a moment. "There’s no excuse. Not even for the interviews. The Clave is supposed to be investigating its own Institutes because of how that last shared mission went; not using it as an excuse to take it out on Downworlders."

"I know it. You know it. It’s like this guy Jarod’s trying to prove himself; prove he’s got the Downworlders handled, and everything under control," Luke agreed, looking just as incensed as Alec.

"That’s exactly what it’ll be," Alec said, wiping a hand over his face.

"Alec?"

"When the Clave—each Head of Institute has certain targets to meet, certain criteria they’re supposed to achieve every month," Alec explained, absently playing with the label of his beer bottle. "We’re supposed to produce statistics; how many Downworlder attacks on Mundanes, how many Shadowhunters injured by Downworlders on patrol—"

"Isn’t that really unfairly skewed in favor of the Downworlders always being the bad guys?" Simon asked, looking between the three of them in expectation.

"Yeah. It is," Alec agreed, "and you’re supposed to hit quotas, or not exceed limits. If you do, the Clave can send a representative to your Institute to see how you’re running things. Sometimes they even have… special targets to reach," he added, and the way his eyes darted towards Magnus told him to expect to hear something he wouldn’t like.

"It’s okay, Alec," he smiled, squeezing his thigh again in encouragement.

"Sometimes the Clave will decide they want to keep a better eye on certain Downworlders, or groups of Downworlders," Alec sighed. "Say, for example in… I don’t know; Italy, there’s a clan of vampires that get out of hand. The Clave uses that as a reason—"

"Excuse?" Magnus suggested for him.

"Excuse," Alec agreed, "to… filter down plans involving  _monitoring_ vampires throughout all the other Institute-controlled areas, to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen elsewhere."

"So essentially, they’re looking for reasons to be heavy-handed," Luke said, grimacing himself.

"Exactly. I fought against a ton of it—"

"Out of interest; on how many occasions were there conveniently-timed disturbances related to High Warlocks that called on you to investigate _your_ High Warlock?" Magnus asked, the thought occurring to him and the words out before he could stop them.

Alec stared back at him for a few seconds before answering. "More than you’d wanna hear about. And I refused to do every single one I could. When it was a general Downworlder thing, I didn’t have too much choice, but when it was targeted, and specific, I mostly found ways around it."

"What about all those stats?" Simon asked, leaning forward as though intrigued.

"I gave them what they wanted," Alec smiled, nodding. "I also gave them additional data they didn’t wanna hear."

"Such as?"

"Mundanes helped by Downworlders. Downworlders attacked by Shadowhunters—thankfully, only a few of those happened, and that was early on in me being Head. Downworlders supporting other Downworlders, the reduction in crime numbers thanks to our Downworlder Cabinet; I gave them everything."

"And?"

"They hated it. Ignored it. Loathed the fact that I bought it all up in discussion whenever they were trying to implement these… all the kinds of things that were really just meant to oppress. I wish I… I don’t want to think that it’s what they are doing now, but it _is_ what they’re doing. I was part of that—"

"You fought against it—"

"But I grew up into that," Alec sighed, shaking his head. "I never… until _you_ , and _Clary_ ; I never even really questioned anything, even if I didn't agree with things that were happening. I just followed orders, doing what I was _supposed_ to do."

"Alexander—"

"We need to turn this around," Alec told him with a stiff nod. "We need to figure out if these holding cells are really a thing, and if they are, _where_ they are. And we need to organize everyone together."

"That’ll be easier said than done," Luke said. "I mean, I’m not saying we’re not gonna do it—"

"We’ll operate within the law," Alec nodded, "within the very laws they've put in place to _protect_ everyone. What they’re doing now is illegal, even by their own judgment."

"That sounds like a lot of work," Simon added, his fingers absently stripping the label from Luke's beer bottle and unaware of the looks he kept giving him for it.

"It won’t be just here," Alec said. "You heard Izzy; they’re shaking up all the Institutes, and all the new Heads will be trying to prove themselves. Maybe they’ll be less, or more excessive than here; I can't know that. But you can guarantee stuff like this’ll be happening all over the world."

"And the investigation into the rift. Into the mission that… triggered all this," Luke said, when Alec stopped talking and a silence grew between them.

"When I was called to the Institute before I left to talk about it, I was basically dismissed. And I haven’t heard a single thing from Mom about it. Izzy hasn't heard too much else aside from what they're calling the demon while they classify it. Seems all the Clave's efforts are in this mass reorganization."

"How’s she doing? Maryse?" Luke asked, a little softer.

"Good," Alec smiled, "as good as she can be I guess."

"It has to be hard for her having you all scattered everywhere."

"Yeah."

"Clary’s been sending me and Simon _letters_ ," Luke said with a warm smile then, sitting back. "I think she’s being careful what she says; guess that ties in with you thinking our phones are being tapped. And she only ever sends it to me at the precinct, which I suppose is another sign. But I think she’s doing okay."

Luke's face became wistful then, and Magnus knew without having to ask just how much he was missing Clary, how worried he must be.

"Everyone will be okay, Luke," Magnus said, trying to buoy him. "They have no grounds to be doing what they're doing to any of us. It has to backfire on them some time; maybe we can be the thing to cause that backfiring."

"We’ll get them all back here," Alec nodded in determined agreed. "We will."

* * *

After hours of discussion, and brainstorming of ideas, as well as piecing together all the information they had, Magnus was thankful to be returning home, and echoed Alec's sigh as they stepped through the portal into their apartment.

"We've got so much work to do," Alec sighed, reaching for Magnus immediately and pulling him into his arms.

"We do," Magnus agreed, leaning to kiss him. "Though perhaps we can think about that in the morning; not only will our minds be clearer for having slept, but _you_ should also not be straining yourself."

"Magnus—"

"I mean it, Alec," Magnus insisted, kissing him again. "And I will keep reminding you of it. Your magic is still relatively new; you need time to adjust to it—not necessarily to using it, since you've already learned so much. It's more a question of getting used to _having_ it."

"Pity," Alec sighed, ducking to mouth up his neck, his fingers already sliding down his back to grip Magnus' ass and press them closer together. "I was thinking about us doing something that didn't involve sleeping, and absolutely requires a little strain."

"Alex—"

"I would be very grateful if you could refrain from such activities until after I have left your… charming apartment."

The unexpected voice full of condescending amusement had Magnus frozen for all of a second, and then in a burst of uncoordinated activity, Magnus tried to shield Alec behind his back, as Alec attempted to do the same with him.


	3. Chapter 3

"I am so sorry to interrupt; though I thought it only polite to stop you before you really got started."

Magnus continued to stare, blood rushing in his ears and narrowing the focus of his hearing to a muffle, as everything seemed to come to a stop.

"Who the hell are you?" Alec demanded even as Magnus belatedly tried to pull him back. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Oh; I apologize. I should have introduced myself. Magnus; why don't I leave the introductions to you. It would be appropriate."

Magnus told his heart not to race, swallowed back the bile in his throat, allowed a couple of seconds to attempt to work out how long it had been since he had last seen his father, then tucked Alec firmly into his side, coiled with tension and ready to protect him by any means necessary if it was needed.

"Alec," he said, his words coming out pinched, "this is Asmodeus."

Magnus continued to observe the man in front of him; pristine in his white suit, a smile of arrogant confidence on his face, and thought as he often found himself doing when he couldn't shut it out, how many of his own personal traits came from _him_.

"Asmodeus?" Alec repeated quietly, as though the name had meaning to him, but he couldn't remember for what.

"Yes," Magnus agreed, pausing for another second as Asmodeus stared back at him in increasing amusement. "Alec; this is my father."

Alec grew even more stiff at his side, and Magnus wondered if he intended on lunging out, silently begging him not to, for having no idea what his father might do.

"So charmed to meet you finally," Asmodeus bowed with false politeness, his eyes darting up the length of Alec with far more interest than Magnus was comfortable with for fearing what he might want from him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh," Asmodeus said, pivoting a little on the spot, "I'd heard that you were back in New York."

"You heard?" Magnus repeated, with his heart racing faster still.

"Yes," Asmodeus agreed. "I thought now would be a good time to call in for a little… update. To see how you are doing. Both of you."

"It… It's been a while," Magnus stuttered out, utterly out of his depth and fighting the urge to get them out of there with the need to protect, yet feeling trapped within his own home.

"It has," his father agreed with a hand pressed to his chest as though his heart was heavy for the thought.

"Why now?" Alec asked in suspicion, shuffling even closer to Magnus; probably thinking that he could protect _him_.

"It seemed like a good time. You have no doubt had a little time to get used to your magic—"

"How did you—"

"And it is long enough since that demon breach for this world to have… adequately recovered," Asmodeus continued, smiling back at them in what Magnus knew was mocking, despite the casualness of his tone.

"What do you know about that?" Alec demanded, his voice full of uncertainty.

"Oh, certainly more than you do," Asmodeus smiled, as though he was telling himself a joke.

Magnus stared back at him demanding his own answer, though was unable to get his words out.

"You may call them the _Victa_ , if you want, as your Clave have; though _Invicta_ would be more accurate," Asmodeus said after a moment's pause and a put-upon sigh. Magnus watched him begin to walk around their apartment, his heart in his throat for every time he picked something up and smiled in amusement. Though when his hand curled around a treasured photo frame of he and Alec, Magnus' feet unstuck, and he found himself charging across the room, snatching it from his father's hands to put back in its rightful place.

"I don’t really care what they’re called," Alec countered when Asmodeus looked back at him, his eyes darting between Magnus and his father in curiosity, as though trying to search for any similarity between them. Magnus loathed the thought that he might find some.

"I suppose not," Asmodeus replied, turning on his heel again and nodding. "Though they are the reason you have those beautiful new wings you insist on hiding away."

A crackle in the air had Alec stumbling forward in agony, straightening up again seconds later with his wings visible to them all. Magnus crossed the room in seconds to soothe him, running a gentle hand around the ridges of each protrusion that had burst through his shirt until Alec relaxed, then took a step so he was partly shielding Alec from his father’s view.

"So they were the ones that did this to him," Magnus said, watching the blink of cat eyes so similar to his own, caught between loathing, fear, and fascination for seeing them.

"In a way," Asmodeus agreed, lingering a deliberate look along the span Alec's wings. Magnus could feel Alec's distress for it without having to turn, and sagged forward in relief once his father lost interest, and started pacing again. "The _Victa_ ," he said with a mocking laugh, "are from a realm that the Nephilim are yet to classify. Or even _find_. A realm that so happens to be Edom’s closest neighbor."

"You," Alec said in accusation, moving to stand by Magnus’ side, and in doing so knocking a wing into Magnus' back as it curled forward. "You did this. You opened the rift."

"Do you think I have time for trivial things like this world?" Asmodeus answered in near hilarity, coming to a stop a little closer to them, and leaving Magnus fighting hard not to flinch. "No, that was not I. The demons were attracted to the rift by geological processes that just happened to rupture the wall between _here_ , and _there_. It was quite by accident that they came through, but you should understand; what you witnessed was only a fraction of them. If they chose to, they would overwhelm your world in minutes. Luckily, there is little of interest to _keep_ them here. For most demons, anyway," he added with a belittling glance at Magnus.

"So how did Alec—"

"Your world might be irrelevant, but that doesn’t mean you go without complete notice in the realms," Asmodeus said with a glint in his eye that Magnus didn't like in the slightest.

"Meaning?" he demanded.

" _Meaning_ ," Asmodeus repeated in mocking, before turning to look directly at Alec, "your name in particular is known to us given the _incident_ with the Soul Sword. Your Institute's lack of care almost threatened the existence of so many of us who, for reasons I will never fathom, _choose_ to live in this world. That is something that would attract the attention of many realms; in no good ways for you. And of course, I in particular know your name due to your… relations, with my son."

"Listen—" Magnus began to say, cut off both in words and with a sharp impatient glare.

"It goes without saying, then, that when the _Victa_ found you, and recognized you—"

"How did they _recognize me_?" Alec asked, frowning harder.

"Have I not just said that you are _known_ to us?" Asmodeus sighed, with a click of impatience on his tongue.

"But—"

"That, and the Victa could _smell_ my son on you. It is an unlikely combination for their sharp senses, Shadowhunter entwined with warlock. You _reek_ of each other. So much that when I found you, I was convinced my son must be lurking somewhere in the cave, waiting to surprise me."

Magnus shifted on the spot in discomfort for the triumphant glint in Asmodeus' eyes, but couldn't find anything to answer with.

"However they recognized you; once they did, the Victa sought to appease me, immediately," Asmodeus continued, his eyes narrowing and _studying_ Alec so intensely that Magnus shuffled a little more to be in front of him.

"Appease you?" Magnus asked.

"Why, yes," Asmodeus replied with a smile that Magnus thought was supposed to look humble. "There are a handful of people here that are… of interest to me. You are one of them. Despite their… tenacity for destruction, the _Victa_ would not have intended to wound _you_. That was quite by accident."

"What do you want with me?" Alec asked quietly, and the tone of his voice had Magnus moving a fraction closer to him, silently urging him not to speak.

"You were mortally wounded," Asmodeus said, staring at Alec in even more interest. "The injuries you sustained; let’s just say, you would not be standing here now, if it were not for my… assistance."

"Why?" Magnus asked, incensed, and so confused by what was being revealed that he felt light-headed.

"My son," Asmodeus replied, a hand over his chest mock wounded, highlighting even more the stark whiteness of his suit against his hand, "surely you would know I have an _interest_ , in all you do? In all that _interests_ you? You are the only of my children that has made me proud, after all."

Magnus felt sick. Hated the implication that he had _pleased_ his father, knowing the thought of it would keep him awake for trying to fathom which wrong he’d done had brought him that honor.

"So if the demons knew me, recognized me—"

"I was immediately contacted," Asmodeus replied, nodding. "You—"

"How?" Magnus asked, the question blurting out unchecked. "The rift was closed."

"Do you think _you_ know all there is to know about magic, Magnus?" Asmodeus replied, staring Magnus down, and making him feel smaller than he had ever done. "Are you arrogant enough to believe you know all the ways there are to communicate with the realms from here—from everywhere? Your powers may be exceptional compared with some others, Magnus, but do not let that fool you into thinking you. Know. All."

Magnus stood his ground, kept his chin held high, and tried to disguise the tremble in his limbs. Asmodeus glanced him over for another second, then smiled at him with a nod, turning back to Alec.

"You should be honored, Mr. Lightwood— _Alexander_ ; it is not for just anyone that I would bring myself to this world. Twice now."

"I found Alec in a cave along the edge of the rift," Magnus stuttered out.

"Yes," Asmodeus agreed, "the cave where I performed the necessary ceremony, sacrificed several of the _Victa_ demons to replenish your blood—after siphoning off that which remained of your angel blood, of course."

Magnus swallowed back the bile rising in his throat for all the possibilities of what his father might want with angel blood, attempting to keep his face a mask. "How did you hide him?"

"Hide him?"

"Yes," Magnus nodded. "The Clave. The other Shadowhunters; they would have at least come _looking_ for him there."

"I arrived in that cave perhaps an hour after Alec was wounded; perhaps a few minutes before there would have been no way to bring him back," Asmodeus added, with a look that told Magnus to be _grateful_. "There was no one else left alive on that island, nor, I am told, in the days that followed, whilst Alec completed his transformation."

"You did that to him then left him alone? Unprotected?" Magnus asked in a daze at the thought of Alec abandoned and unable to defend himself.

"Is not a better question, why the _Clave_ did not come looking for their own people?" Asmodeus countered. "I hear that no one returned to the island at all following that first influx; not for days, anyway, and even then it was to look for potential bodies. They can't have been looking very hard for him."

Magnus' knees threatened to fail him, for what appeared to be the confirmation of the Clave truly abandoning Alec, having no idea how Alec might take the news.

"Why?" Alec demanded, his voice coming out gruff. "Why would you do that? Save me?"

"Oh, Alexander; are you not practically my son-in-law?" Asmodeus replied. "Do you not appreciate my gift?"

Alec paused before answering, and Magnus could feel the tension bristling in him without even having to turn around to look.

"Are you planning on taking it away if I say no? Because I’ll find another way."

"To?" Asmodeus prompted, looking amused.

"To become immortal again. To be with Magnus. We already talked about it, before _this_ happened to me. So there's nothing you can do or say—nothing you can _threaten_ me with—that's gonna change anything about that."

"How _beautiful_."

"I—"

"What do you expect in return?" Magnus asked quietly, recognizing the manipulation for what it was, half-terrified for what the price might be, and desperately trying to come up with an argument for why the remainder of Alec's angel blood now in his father's possession would be enough.

"Can you not just accept it as the gift it was intended?" Asmodeus asked, his voice coming out surprised, even though his eyes continued to glint with amused triumph.

"Actually, no," Magnus replied, staring him down. Asmodeus stared back for a long moment before sighing, and nodding in acceptance, and began to turn away.

"Pity," he said. "I do hope one day you will come to be more open-hearted towards me. Perhaps when I next visit. And be assured; I will visit you again, should the need arise."

"I—"

But before Magnus could retort, Asmodeus disappeared before their eyes, the mystery of the source of Alec’s immortality resolved without even having to look for it, but raising further, more worrying questions in its place; of what Asmodeus might one day ask for in return.

* * *

"Do you think maybe the Clave worked out that the blood that made me like this is from these Victa demons?" Alec asked what appeared out of nowhere, but from the frown on his face as he rolled over from where he'd shifted in the night to lay on Magnus’ chest, Magnus could tell he'd been awake a while thinking about it. He'd been awake for hours himself not wanting to disturb Alec, unable to shift the image of his father from his mind.

"Why do you ask?" Magnus said, raising his head enough to kiss the top of Alec's and mumble a, _good morning_ into his hair as he wrapped his arms around him.

"It’s… maybe that’s why they keep saying they want to _examine_ me. Because they know," Alec replied, kissing his own good morning absently into Magnus' chest.

Magnus swept his hands over Alec's back repeatedly to soothe him, with one palm coming to a gentle stop over and between his shoulder blades in memory of the forced eruption of his wings only a few hours earlier.

They had stared at one another for a few tense seconds after Asmodeus had left them, with Magnus unsure if his attention would be wanted, and Alec looking stunned enough to have forgotten how to move. But then his face had settled, his spine straightening even as he'd glamored his wings away, and the single _Magnus_ that had blasted from his mouth had them flying at each other in a rush of need, clothes off in seconds even before they'd stumbled their way to their bedroom. And when they'd come together it was urgent, desperate, needing to touch at every point possible, their bed creaking its protest under the force of that need, and their breath not evening out until long after they were done.

"I suppose it is a logical assumption for them," Magnus replied after considering how to answer, glad to feel Alec settling against him more comfortably. "Though perhaps the rarity of a Shadowhunter-turned-warlock is also quite the lure. Think of the possibilities."

"Like what?"

"Perhaps they hope to somehow harness your magic for their use. Or perhaps they hope that a former Shadowhunter who is now a warlock could be influential over the Downworlders," Magnus suggested, turning them over until they were on their sides and tucked up close, wanting to see Alec's face as they spoke.

"They don’t think it goes the other way? That a former _Shadowhunter_ who’s now a _warlock_ might want to represent the Downworlders instead of them?" Alex retorted with a scowl.

"This is just speculation, Alexander," Magnus smiled, reaching out to thumb away that scowl. "I don’t have an answer."

"I know," Alec agreed, snagging his fingers and leaning in for a quick kiss. "I just… I’ve been thinking, is all."

"Yes. I am sure our… _guest_ , has added additional layers to the things already playing on your mind. I'm sorry, Alec," Magnus sighed, guilt hitting him hard and making him roll away.

"Why are _you_ sorry?" Alec said immediately, shaking his head as he shuffled closer, nudging Magnus back over, and pushing himself up on his hands to lean down and kiss him.

"Alexander, my _father_ did this to you."

"Yes," Alec agreed, " _he_ did; not you."

"But—"

"Magnus," Alec whispered, kissing him again, "I don't blame you for it. Why would I?"

Magnus thought of several reasons, but the loving look on Alec's face said he wouldn't listen to any one of them. "I don't know."

"I—it sounds like, even though I'm reluctant to do it, I need to be thankful to him for saving my life. And for this," Alec added, leaning back just enough to flare magic in his palm. Magnus took it to mean both the magic and his new immortality.

" _We_ need to be thankful to him for saving your life," Magnus amended, tugging him closer, sighing as Alec tucked into his neck. "As for the other thing—"

"The making me a warlock without my permission, thing?" Alec laughed, kissing at his neck.

"Yes."

"It's done now."

"We would have found another way," Magnus sighed, squeezing his arms around Alec, thinking of the search they'd begun for suitable demons, and all the other things they would have needed to make Alec immortal.

"Yeah, well. It doesn't sound like we had much of a choice," Alec said, shrugging against him, far more accepting than Magnus thought he might be himself—or he would have expected Alec to be.

"Either way," Magnus sighed. "Going back to the Clave; it isn't only the demon blood itself that made you a warlock. There were spells, incantations; whatever else he performed in that _ceremony_ to make you like this." A stab of belated panic hit his stomach hard for the thought that perhaps his own magic might not have been enough to do it if they had tried, and the thought of losing Alec in an attempt to make him immortal left Magnus feeling sick.

"Yeah, but they don't know that."

"If the Clave realize that it was my father that did this to you—"

"Magnus—"

"They already accused you of favoritism with me before all of this," Magnus sighed. "There are already suggestions that you _wanted_ this to happen; that this was deliberate to—"

"The Clave is gonna say whatever they want to say to make it look like I'm in the wrong," Alec shrugged. "The truth is, they don't know what to do with me. There's no record—that I know of, anyway—of this happening before. I'm an embarrassment to them; if they really believed any of what they're saying, then they'd have tried to get to me already—properly, instead of just talking about it."

"I suppose."

"Their accusations are all so vague, and their _efforts_ to get to me so half-hearted, that they clearly haven't found anything valid to accuse me of—yet," Alec said, nuzzling against his cheek. "Besides; this reorganization of all the Institutes to get more control over the Downworld is gonna take up most of their resources. I'm not _that_ important to warrant a full investigation right now."

"Even if they realize that you are leading the Downworlder… resistance," Magnus teased, lifting his head quickly to catch Alec's lips before he could pull too far back as he moved.

"I'm not _leading_ —"

"Oh, but you are," Magnus insisted, "at least here in New York."

"We're all working on this, together," Alec said with an adamant shake of his head.

"And yet you are the one who is organizing so much of it."

"Magnus—"

"Leading is in your blood, Alexander; wherever that blood is from."

Alec smiled at that, dropping his chin on Magnus' chest and settling again.

"You think he’s gonna… he’s gonna want something from us at some point. Isn’t he," Alec asked after a short pause, his brow furrowing and suggesting this wasn't a change of subject, only one of many thoughts currently playing on repeat in his head.

Magnus wasn’t sure if it was fear he heard in Alec’s voice or simple curiosity, but he wrapped him up in his arms anyway, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. "Perhaps. But we will deal with that together, if and when it happens."

"My dad's _so_ much less of a problem than yours," Alec huffed into his neck as he rose himself up again, and Magnus could feel him smiling there.

"Maybe the two of them can meet."

"Yeah, let's not arrange that," Alec laughed, though when he propped himself to look at Magnus, it was with a nervous smile.

"I won't let him do anything to you, Alexander," Magnus said, his voice tight with conviction.

Alec smiled a little easier, and nodded, then leaned in to kiss him.

* * *

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

"Alright, we should get started."

Magnus watched Alec looking over the group gathered around them as he began to speak, and felt a surge of both love and pride for him.

Simon had been the one to lead them to the small, abandoned apartment, having come across it when hiding from an Institute patrol. The last few days had both confirmed the disappearance of Downworlders from the streets of New York and seen an increase in the numbers of them disappearing; the reason for which was rumored to be for disobeying a new set of curfews that they hadn’t even been informed about.

Tucked away on the very edge of the new Institute-designated vampire territory that most of the other vampires wouldn’t have ever dreamed of setting foot in, Simon remembered the place as somewhere from his Mundane days. With a little glamoring and careful covering of the windows to make it safe for everyone attending, the apartment was prepared in a matter of hours for the twenty-three people crammed in around its mismatched furniture to hear the initial plans for how they were hoping to strike back against the Institute.

Alec had been gathering his own information from those he could trust within the Clave, which weren't many, and for that reason took the precaution of using a prepaid cell phone that he practiced his magic on by melting down once he’d finished making his calls. And with the help of Simon and Luke, he and Magnus had managed to organize the small group of Downworlders gathered around them looking to Alec for news. The tension in the air was thick with anticipation and held back fury for what was happening; Alec nodded once he had everyone's attention and raised his head a little, back straightening with authority and confidence.

"So, here’s what we know; I apologize in advance to those of you who have heard parts of this before. I want everyone up to speed on all the information we have." Alec waited for the room to nod back at him, then nodded to himself, and carried on.

"The _Victa_ that came out of that rift are a species of demon that the Clave hasn’t come across before, and is currently _cataloging_ , in Idris. Which means they’ve captured some, taken the bodies of some others and are… studying them. Izzy headed up the team investigating," Alec added with a nod towards her. "I’ll let her fill you in on the details," and with that Izzy sat up a little straighter in her chair, eyes sweeping over them all.

"For those of you who haven’t already seen them, the _Victa_ demons stand at about our height on surprisingly strong limbs given how thin they are, and have both webbed feet and hands, though there are claws on each of the digits that approximate to fingers and toes; some up to four inches long. Their skin is a deep red color that is clammy to the touch, and their wings are of the same color; the wingspan of the largest demon we studied was twelve feet, though between six and eight appears to be more common—"

"I don’t mean to be rude," said a werewolf stood squashed between the wall and an end of the table, "but is this really relevant? I mean, we’re all _thankful_ they’re gone and all, but shouldn’t we be more worried about what the Clave has in store for us?"

"It’s important to know about them if they come back," Alec retorted, raising an eyebrow that said he didn’t appreciate the interruption. "It’s important that we can recognize them. And it's even more important that you know about the thing that was the catalyst for all this change." The werewolf sighed and gave a small nod in agreement, and shrank back a little further against the wall.

"As I was saying," Izzy continued, though first turning a smile in the direction of the werewolf, "these Victa demons also have venomous fangs approximately three inches in length. They are far stronger than any demon I have personally come into contact with before, and because they work together in packs, it makes them very hard to kill. Though there is a weak spot just to the base of their necks that repeated strikes at will weaken them enough to kill with other methods, if not kill them outright."

Izzy nodded to Alec to show she was finished and leaned forward expectantly for him to take over.

"The Victa demons came through a rift that opened through natural, geological processes. There is no way to control these, and we can’t know for sure if further movements in the same area won't open the same rift again; though given the information we've gathered on recent rift activity, we need to be prepared in case this rift is breached again—whatever our outcome with the Clave.

"Magnus and a team of warlocks have visited the area and secured it as much as is possible, but it is likely that the rift area will require constant monitoring in the future, to attempt to give us ample warning in order to prepare. Marcia Cardoso, High Warlock of Minas Gerais, is responsible for sealing the rift in the first place. She is currently in Idris, _recovering_. I’ve been told by numerous sources that she has other High Warlocks in attendance to help her heal, but it seems like she’s being held against her will."

"On what grounds?" Luke asked, making notes on a small pad of paper balanced on his knee as Alec spoke.

"Allegedly, to ensure she makes a full recovery. Marcia was taken to Idris by the first team of Shadowhunters to return there after the rift. And while I am confident they did so in good faith as she was dangerously depleted of her magic by sealing the rift, as well as injured, that they’re keeping her there without any valid reason tells me that they have interests in using her beyond investigating these demons."

"Meaning?" Luke asked, his pen coming to a stop against the page. Alec grit his teeth and frowned down at the table for a moment before lifting his head again.

"The Clave has taken this incident with the Victa demons and used it as an excuse to investigate their own Institutes; to ensure they are working within the restrictions they want imposed, maintaining _proper_ control over the Downworlders in each area. I’m told this is a regular occurrence every decade or so," Alec added with a soft smile for Magnus that he echoed briefly before schooling it in. "And I have little reason to doubt that this is what is happening now. The Clave is trying to divide us; Shadowhunters versus Downworlders, to restore the order they feel is _necessary_ to keep everyone in their place. Which means, essentially, Institutes having free rein to do whatever is necessary to re-establish or maintain that control."

"But why now?" Simon asked, his eyes innocent as they grew wider in surprise, as though he couldn’t imagine such a thing happening.

"It’s convenient," Alec shrugged. "An opportunity to reveal the lapses in the way individual Institutes run things."

"And Marcia?" Magnus asked softly, already knowing only as much as Alec, but wanting the recognition what she'd done for them known by all.

"Marcia Cardosa has long assisted the Institutes in Brazil, and is often consulted by their Heads on matters regarding the Downworlders, or legislation that the Clave wants to implement that would directly impact them," Alec replied as he stared back, his expression one of apology, Magnus realized with a thud of his heart; none of this was Alec's fault. "Most of the Institutes in Brazil enjoy a good relationship with the Downworlders in their areas; similar to the ways we have established here— _had_ here, before this demon attack."

"I see," Luke replied, stiffly, his jaw beginning to clench with fury.

"In fact," Alec added with a grim nod that suggested he knew Luke's thoughts, "it appears that the vast majority of the Institutes called to deal with the rift also have more equal relationships with the Downworlders that live around and amongst them. I have no proof, but—"

"It looks like the Clave deliberately sent you guys out, so if you failed, or even if you didn’t, it gave them an excuse to _investigate_ ," Luke finished for him, his face also a picture of disgust.

"If they can correlate an unsuccessful mission with a more liberal understanding of the Downworld—"

"Then they can either accuse the Downworld of being directly responsible for the rift opening, or the Institutes for being… lax," Magnus said, his own fury revealing itself.

"That’s what it looks like," Alec agreed. "I had regular meetings with each of the Heads in these areas before all this happened; we were working towards making our individual Downworlder Cabinets and agreements something joint, more widespread for everyone."

"It appears that those Shadowhunters who are supportive—who view Downworlders as equals—have been sent to work for Institutes who generally don’t," Magnus added, when a couple of the warlocks in the room looked to him instead of Alec.

"Like they’re all being brainwashed," Simon added, even more wide-eyed. His fingers absently tapped against the edge of the table loud enough to irritate a few of those around them, earning him glares from a warlock who looked ready to snap his fingers, and a werewolf who looked so _done_ with Simon, that Magnus had to think the two of them knew each other. Magnus narrowed his eyes trying to get Simon's attention where he balanced on the back legs of his chair, until Luke shoved him forward and raised an eyebrow telling him to keep still.

"So, what do we do now?" Luke asked, sitting back with a slump. "We’ve got no one on our side here in the New York Institute now—aside from Izzy, and it sounds like your hands are pretty tied."

Izzy turned to smile at Luke with an apologetic nod. "There are a few of us who don't agree with what is happening, and I think maybe more who can be persuaded. But at the moment, when the focus is on _maintaining order_ , until the Shadowhunters start to see Downworlders taking a stand, I don't think they'll do anything."

"And if what you’re saying is right, all the people who might have been on our side have been scattered all over the place. Deliberately," Luke added, his eyes narrowing in increasing fury.

"We’re not fighting," Alec said, his eyes narrowing in determination. "That’s exactly what they want. They’re segregating us, attempting to turn us on one another, trying to get us to be divided amongst ourselves. They want us to _fight_ , to rise up against them so they have a valid reason to introduce more laws, tougher sanctions, to keep us in our place. So whatever we choose to do, needs to be within the words of the law."

"But if the law’s already set up for Downworlders to always be in the wrong," Simon said, his voice laced with worry, "then how are we—"

"By _knowing_ the law. Word for word. Point by point. And knowing every single way around it," Alec replied, exuding confidence and complete certainty that he was right.

* * *

"You really think this is gonna work?" Alec asked, smiling as Magnus sank down beside him on their couch and handed him a glass of wine.

"What, this?" Magnus said, nodding towards the scatter of papers spread over their coffee table that Alec had only just sat back from poring over for the past two hours without a break.

"Yeah."

Magnus looked again at the accumulation of paperwork gathered since their meeting in the glamored apartment two days earlier, eyes drawn to Alec's handwriting on copious pages of notes, and nodded.

"Alec; you know the Institute, and you know the Clave, better than anyone else in our meeting," Magnus assured him, raising Alec's arm up to duck beneath and snuggling into his side.

"That's not even true, and you know it," Alec huffed, kissing his forehead. "You're the one that pointed out a Shadowhunter could be represented by anyone—including a Downworlder—back when Izzy was on trial."

"I may know a loophole or two—"

"Or all of them," Alec muttered, taking a sip of his wine and letting out a deep, worried sigh.

"Alexander; you are more than aware of certain _loopholes_ yourself. You sat here reading through every law the Clave has ever written some nights when you were trying to find ways around their… restrictions, when you were still in charge."

"Maybe," Alec sighed, taking another sip and turning a little more towards Magnus.

"This will work, Alec," Magnus assured him. "I have every faith. As do you; you're just letting yourself doubt, which is also to be expected."

"Doesn't it seem a little… arrogant to you?"

"What?" Magnus said in surprise, lifting his head to stare at him. "Fighting back?"

"No, Magnus," Alec smiled with an eye roll, leaning forward to kiss him. "Me. _Us_ , I guess. Waltzing back in here to New York and kind of… taking over everything."

"Nothing really was being done, Alec; Luke and everyone else were really just collating information, preparing for this eventuality."

"Yeah, but—"

"Has it occurred to you, Alexander, that your leadership is the thing that was needed to unite us all?" Magnus asked. "Your mother said that to you before we went to England."

"Yeah, I guess," Alec sighed again, sipping at his wine absently, then more adamantly shaking his head. "But I'm _not_ leading this thing. It's all of us together, Magnus; this is a joint decision, a joint _effort_. It's important everyone knows that. We can't have a whole _us_ and _them_ thing happening between _us_ if we're gonna win this thing."

Alec, so used to tactical mission planning, had combined his years as a soldier with the experience of running the Institute to devise a plan—along with Magnus, Luke and a few others—for a methodical approach to overturning all the new rules and restrictions put in place by the Institute. And with regular contact with Downworlders in other cities, they hoped for an impact that would be far reaching, operating within the very laws imposed by those in Idris to show that the Shadow World was better united than in its current state.

"This will _work_ , Alec," Magnus insisted. "Perhaps it will not work immediately. Perhaps we will need several attempts to use their own laws to point out the error of their ways. Why oppressing us is not going to work; why a more harmonious relationship serves us all better."

"For if the Victa demons come back, or another breach happens somewhere else, or—"

"Or anything," Magnus nodded, draining his glass and looking at Alec's to let him know to do the same. "We are better together, stronger, than we are with this constant… divide between us. You may not want to hear it, but you are going to be important in whatever comes—"

"Because I'm literally both sides of this?" Alec finished for him with a huff, though drained his glass and handed it to Magnus as he gestured for it, sitting up a little more when Magnus leaned back from pushing their glasses on the table and pulling him closer.

"You are. You are also a natural leader, Alec. You had everyone's attention in that meeting. I've seen you hold the same attention in the Institute; people listen to you."

"Sometimes," Alec smiled, reaching out to cup his face and closing the gap between them to kiss him.

"When it matters."

"Again; sometimes."

"Alexander," Magnus said, smiling as Alec shifted to straddle his lap, settling comfortably then bending to mouth along his neck.

"You're the one who keeps telling me how important it is to take regular breaks."

"I—"

"Magnus—"

"And either way; there's nothing we can do right now; until we confirm the location of these holding cells, we can't even take our first step," Alec pointed out, already unbuttoning Magnus' shirt.

"And we cannot do our part until we know where it is."

"Exactly," Alec smiled, hands splaying against his chest for a moment before pressing upwards, humming in approval as Magnus sat forward to give him room to get off his shirt.

"So. We should do something with the time we have available," Magnus replied, fingers out and under Alec's shirt to pull it off in one go.

"This is a good _something_ ," Alec whispered, fingers at the buckle of Magnus' belt before leaning in to kiss him, moaning against his mouth at the feel of Magnus stroking his thumb down his length through his pants.

* * *

 


	5. Chapter 5

Magnus nodded across the doorway to Alec, smirking to himself at his teasing smile. But he masked it quickly, with Alec’s face returning to that serious one Magnus was more used to seeing from him when Heading the Institute. Magnus cast a quick glance into the gloomy building, quietly flaring magic down by his side, and squared his shoulders in preparation.

Alec nodded then, and Magnus stepped forward, flaring that magic out through his palms and lighting the way into the entrance. A startled voice spoke of security being made aware of their presence, and their fight to release the imprisoned Downworlders began.

Two werewolves had been the ones to find the location of the makeshift _prison_ , having escaped when taken there by a Shadowhunter patrol for being out of their area. They'd gone straight to Luke, who had, in turn, got word to Magnus and Alec, and within hours they had a plan in place, wanting to free the Downworlders as a first step in taking on the Institute.

Eleven days had passed since Alec and Magnus had returned to New York, and every day had been filled with interviews, planning, healing, pouring over books to get word-perfect on every law governing their world, and collating information from every source imaginable. But though those days had been busier than either of them had experienced in months, it felt to Magnus that this day was the first day they were truly _doing_ something. The look on Alec's face suggested him feeling the same.

Seven Downworlders charged in behind Magnus and Alec, forming a walking wall that moved forward in a perfect line, and under Alec’s instruction, stunned or incapacitated rather than wounded those Shadowhunters guarding the entrance to the cells. Magnus focused hard, protecting one warlock to his side as another Shadowhunter loomed up at them in the dark, gently dropping him to his knees and shifting him to rest against a wall.

"You think that’s all of them?" Alec asked, his own magic flared and ready in one hand, and a seraph blade no longer flaring its usual brilliance in the other.

"I don’t know, Alec; how many guards would you normally have in place for securing a place of this size?"

"Depends on how many people they’re holding. Though this already seems like too many guards," Alec replied, stepping in front to lead the way in after a quick glance at the three Shadowhunters on the floor. His fingers twitched down by his side as though he needed to remind himself his magic was still present, then his arm was raising up, and shoving hard against a thick, heavy door.

The door creaked in protest as it moved, and the team charged through with their hands raised, ready for a fight. Two Shadowhunters to the side of the cells turned slowly in surprise at the noise, from where they sat playing a card game as though they had nothing else they needed to be doing.

"How many people have you got here?" Alec demanded once the two guards were up and facing him, hands down by their sides at their thigh holsters far too late to draw a weapon to defend themselves.

"No people," the first one said; tall, thin, blond, and cocky-looking, with a sneer on his face that Magnus really wanted to punch off. Instead he sent a bolt of magic upwards at a Shadowhunter running down a staircase towards them, nodding in satisfaction as he slumped and slid against the wall, though slipped no further.

"So who are all of those?" Alec asked, gesturing over their shoulders at the shapes they could just about make out in the gloom. Magnus followed the point of his fingers and grimaced in disgust. There were no individual cells; just one large, dank, rectangular room, makeshift cots pushed up against the walls for each of the prisoners, and various restraints preventing them from moving too far. The exhausted faces of numerous Downworlders peered back at them wincing at the beams of magic flared to seek them out. And when one of the werewolves in the group breaking into the building found a light switch, Magnus sucked in a breath at the sheer numbers wedged into the room blinking back at them, with little evidence of food or water, or even much in the way of sanitation anywhere, judging by the smell. Further murmurs from above them suggested untold more Downworlders imprisoned, and Magnus had to talk himself into not striking out in sheer fury.

"Downworlders," the guard said, glaring at each of the group in turn, then harder still as an additional two werewolves came up behind Alec to join their group, announcing the other exits were also free of guards. "Downworlders, not _people_. And you’re all out past your curfews."

"Curfews are only to be used when there is a national crisis that is likely to impact Mundane, Downworlder, and Shadowhunter safety alike," Alec retorted, going on to recite the exact passage from Clave law, as four from their group made for the stairs, bringing the final few Shadowhunter guards to a shuddering stop.

"There _is_ a national crisis," the guard retorted. "Downworlders are—"

"Free to go about their business without fear of threat or persecution from Shadowhunters, provided they are operating within the law," Alec replied. "And even then, that there are rules against _persecution_ —"

"The word is _interference_ ," the second guard interrupted in a burst of bravery, then shrank back away from Alec’s glare.

"Interference. Persecution. Whatever you choose to call it; it comes down to the same thing. Downworlders are doing nothing outside of those laws sanctioned and approved of by the Clave; these _restrictions_ by this Institute are illegal. The Clave is using the Victa incident to control all of us, Shadowhunters included. You have got to be aware of that."

"We’re doing our duty," the first Shadowhunter sneered back at him. "You’re a _Downworlder_. You’ve never had a sense of duty in your life."

Magnus sucked in a breath waiting to see how Alec reacted, watching as he drew himself a little taller, squared his shoulders, then broke out into a smile.

"Yes," he replied, "I _am_ a Downworlder," then calmly walked around the guards towards the Downworlders being held, nodding for those from their group lingering by the staircase to go up.

"You—"

"Let me ask you something," Alec asked, conjuring a ball of magic in his hand again, and sending it carelessly to the restraints holding a werewolf on a chain with only six feet of movement from the wall. "Do you know what happens when there’s a full moon, and a werewolf is imprisoned like this?"

"They—"

"They are likely to tear everyone around them—Downworlder, Mundane _or_ Shadowhunter—limb from limb, if they feel threatened or unsafe in the first few minutes of the transformation; without even realizing they're doing it. A werewolf that is being held for questioning if they are suspected of a crime is to be given adequate space for that transformation, which generally is determined by their build and height. They’re also to be given a place that allows them privacy; not only for the safety of others, but to protect their modesty should they rip out of their clothes. To hold any werewolf this close to a full moon without these provisions in place means you’re breaking three separate Accords that threatens the peace between Shadowhunter and Downworlder."

The first guard tried to step forward to grab Alec’s arm, but Alec bat it back with a careless block as though disinterested and continued walking, sending magic to release another werewolf as he passed.

"If your Head of Institute is insisting on segregation of the Downworlders out here in the city, then why are you keeping them all together like this?" Alec asked, staring back at a young warlock restrained by a barbaric set of handcuffs that Magnus recognized as an ancient form of Clave imprisonment. The handcuffs were infused with a spell that prevented warlocks from using their magic, and Magnus' heart pounded frantically at the thought of them still being available when he'd not seen them in decades. Luke took one look at Magnus' face and called forward a couple of werewolves to help.

"I got this, Magnus," he said, reaching out to squeeze Magnus' arm, "don't you be going touching those things. We need you," then systematically began freeing the warlocks around the room, and gathering up the handcuffs into a pile far to the other side of it.

"That’s for out there," the guard said, getting Magnus' attention again, as he started to sound uncertain. "It doesn’t matter in here."

"Do you realize how stupid that sounds?" Alec asked, turning back to the guards with an incredulous look, then nodding for the rest of their group to continue freeing the Downworlders around them. "How many do you have here?"

"We haven’t been counting," the second guard stuttered, and as Magnus came to stand beside Alec having already sent magic to free several Downworlders chain to the wall behind them, he caught the look on the guard's face, watched the way his eyes darted over the faded rune on Alec’s neck, then down to the magic spiraling from his palm, and back again.

The extent of cruelty towards and disregard for the Downworlders rushed at Magnus then, blood surging to his ears and rage threatening to take over, demanding they forget the plans they'd made for a peaceful uprising and rain war down on the Institute instead. But Alec must have sensed his anguish, because he turned from answering the guard to come to stand in front of him, reaching out to cup his face and staring in silence for a few seconds, until Magnus could let out a shaky sigh and get his thoughts in order.

"So you’ve just been cramming people in here. On what grounds?" Alec asked when he turned, authority in his tone that it appeared both guards were having difficulty ignoring. Magnus knew his own fury, but he could also see it in Alec, the way he looked so tightly coiled that he might be within seconds of striking out himself.

"It varies. Breaking curfews. Unauthorized presence in an area outside their own. Rumors of interactions with—"

"Where are you from?" Alec asked, tilting his chin towards the guards.

"Oregon."

"Mississippi."

"Why were you transferred to New York?"

"The same reason any Shadowhunter gets transferred. To learn different practices, new methods—"

"Is guarding a falsely-imprisoned group of Downworlders a new _practice_ for you?" Alec demanded. Magnus reached out half-expecting Alec to flinch away, and gently squeezed his hand. Alec snagged his fingers for a second before dropping them and sighed out hard.

Magnus watched the guard's face fall in doubt as he watched them, then his eyes widen in belated realization, his whole body stiffening up, stumbling towards Alec in surprise.

"You’re… you used to be Head of the Institute here. You—you’re Alec Lightwood."

"I am," Alec nodded. "What’s that got to do with anything?"

"You—but you’re a traitor," the first Shadowhunter protested, and Magnus watched Alec fight not to stumble forward himself.

"For?" Alec asked with a snort of grim laughter.

"You—you conspired with the demons."

"What demons?"

"The ones that came pouring out of that rift."

"How? We’d never even heard of these demons before the rift—"

"Because of—because of _you_."

Magnus found himself pointed at, and was torn between wanting to laugh at the insanity of the accusations, and wanting to take Alec far away from having to hear any of them—and remove himself from the situation for fear of what he was so tempted to do.

"This is ridiculous," Alec sighed, turning away as though dismissing the conversation.

"Whoever you are, you can’t just walk in here and… release all these prisoners," the first guard protested.

"But I just _did_ ," Alec countered with a spin on his heel. "Now, unless you can give me exact reasons for why each of these people were being held against their will—"

"They’re still being processed—"

" _Processed_?" Alec repeated, with a half-smile for Raphael as he passed by him. Magnus then watched Alec's eyes narrow as he followed Raphael walking towards him; stooped over and defeated-looking as Magnus had never seen him, rubbing at a sore on his wrist from being chained up, and looking gaunt enough to suggest he hadn’t fed in days. "Have you been feeding them?"

Magnus sagged in relief for seeing Raphael, his hand already out to heal him before he could say hello.

"Some of them," the first Shadowhunter said, looking at Raphael in disgust. "Not the ones that willingly feed on humans."

"It’s not about being _willing_ ," Alec snarled back at him. "And I wasn’t asking if you gave them _humans_ to feed on; you don’t think they can drink other blood?"

"But—"

"You don’t think it’s dangerous to starve the vampires you’ve kept chained up in here like animals?" Alec demanded, utterly incredulous.

"We were following orders."

"How many times has that been used as an excuse?"

"But—"

"Do you realize how many Accords you’ve violated? How many laws?" Alec demanded, gesturing at the Downworlders slowly being released by their group, and becoming increasingly incensed.

"We—"

"Will face full investigation for unjustified practices," Alec finished for the Shadowhunter looking more doubtful of himself by the second.

"Our orders came from the Head of the New York Institute."

"Yeah," Alec huffed, turning away from the guards and walking over to Raphael and Magnus. "How are you?"

"Better now," Raphael said with an echo of his usual scowl over Alec's shoulder for the guard.

"We need to get you somewhere, get you something to drink," Alec said softly, eyes darting over his face in concern as Magnus watched the two of them, usually prepared to referee an argument.

"I have no strength for—"

"There's somewhere nearby," Alec nodded, gesturing towards a vampire at the back of their group and beckoning them forward. "We have supplies outside; can you go with him? Simon's around here somewhere."

"He was the one who alerted us to you being missing," Magnus added before Raphael could comment, and watched him sigh, pinch tiredly over his eyes, and nod in acceptance.

"Go," Alec insisted, nodding towards a small group of vampires forming, all looking starving. "We'll be in contact," and Magnus stepped closer to Alec as they watched them walk away, Alec's hand curling through his for a moment.

"We need to calm Luke," Alec said then, turning away again and towards Luke stood with two werewolves, gesticulating wildly and his voice getting higher by the minute. A young werewolf that had clearly been injured bent over almost double by his side, Luke's hand on the middle of his back in reassurance.

"I'll talk to him," Magnus said, his eyes darting around the room for warlocks he recognized and feeling more relief for every one of them, doing a quick headcount to make sure he had everyone he could.

"Thanks," Alec smiled, sagging forward for a second then squaring his shoulders and turning back to the guards.

And as Magnus walked away already flaring his magic to help the injured werewolf with Luke, he heard the Shadowhunter guards begin to protest their innocence, pleading for their freedom.

"What interest would we have in keeping either of you?" Magnus heard Alec ask.

"We—"

"Are in violation of numerous laws sanctioned by the Clave, like I just said. You either return to the Institute and await further instructions, or you just… go. You have no authority here. Now, if you'll excuse me, we have people to care for."

* * *

"I'll be back in a minute."

Alec's squeeze of his fingers as he walked away from him across the Jade Wolf left Magnus sighing far more audibly than intended, catching the sympathetic eye of a passing waiter, who paused to slide him a drink from his tray, then continued on his way to the kitchen, leaving Magnus alone with his thoughts.

Though he'd offered Alec nothing but confident reassurance on the subject, the lack of retaliation from the Institute following their release of the imprisoned Downworlders put fresh relief in Magnus' chest with every day that passed. Four days, in fact; enough time to hear Raphael's interpretation of what had happened within those holding cells as he recovered, and watch Luke pacing back and forth in increasing fury whenever he saw him, as he recounted similar stories from the werewolves captured.

The warlocks shackled with restraints that had held them both physically and magically were slowly seeing a return of their powers, though far slower than any of them would have wanted, of course, and Magnus had taken care to destroy every last one of those cuffs so the same thing couldn't happen again.

The few seelies captured had chosen not to return to the Court, instead staying to cautiously become acquainted with the other Downworlders living in the city and even offering what assistance they could with healing, meaning Magnus had heard of some very strange shared accommodation arrangements that wouldn't have been imaginable just a few months ago.

If the prison was supposed to be a way to weaken the resolve of the Downworlders, it had succeeded in the exact opposite result. And though it was early days, Magnus was pleased to see those beginnings of tentative relationships between werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and seelies, drawn together by that segregation far better than any one of them could have planned.

It hadn't been all good news, however. The Institute's patrols had increased in number with some of the Shadowhunters growing more heavy-handed. The injuries they were seeing became more brutal as well as more frequent; so much so, that he'd had to teach Alec some simple potions and spells to assist him with healing a couple of times, when the apartment they'd taken over and glamored for their Downworlder meetings became flooded with walking wounded and a few more serious injuries besides.

Alec was everywhere at the moment, it seemed, Magnus sighed as Alec turned to smile at him before going back to his conversation. In the glamored apartment he was either assisting with injuries or planning with other members of their group. Most evenings he was out with small groups forming their own patrols to counter those from the Institute, sweeping in if anyone looked in danger of getting hurt; reciting to the Shadowhunters word for word which sections of the laws they were breaking by attempting to falsely accuse Downworlders of wrongdoing, until they stumbled away in confusion, with Alec watching until he was sure they were gone.

The New York Institute had officially announced that Alec was wanted following the release of the Downworlder prisoners; something both Magnus and Alec had half-expected and taken steps to deal with in advance, even if there was no similar official word from the Clave itself. There were rumors even of rewards being offered for his capture on the grounds of him being dangerous, or volatile following becoming a warlock; apparently the Institute hadn't counted on the loyalty of the Downworlders to Alec, who they looked to as leading the operation to get their independence and way of life back, and turned down any offers made to tempt them.

Another thing that Jarod Rivus hadn't apparently considered was the Shadowhunters from his own Institute, with those upped patrols balanced out by those who turned a blind eye to curfews and area breaches whenever possible, even silently warning Downworlders to turn around when faced with the possibility of coming into contact with patrols still intent on _control_. Honestly, Magnus thought, watching Alec in his discussion with two werewolves at the other end of the Jade Wolf, the Institute seemed to have no idea that their restrictions were bringing people together far more than they were splitting them apart.

Magnus had, reluctantly, agreed to portal Alec to a couple of cities to speak with other Downworlders, on the understanding that he go with him every time. Their visits were crucial to the future of their overall plans to go up against the Clave, but letting Alec out of his sight knowing the Institute was looking for him, and his magic still being new, left Magnus on tenterhooks every time they were separated. That, and he missed Alec desperately, with so little time for each other aside from falling into bed together exhausted at the end of their days.

That night was going to be particularly difficult, Magnus thought with a grimace at the window revealing how quickly the afternoon was passing. He was portaling to meet with some warlocks who were also parts of groups in other cities taking their own stands against the injustices of their Institutes. He wouldn't return until the morning, possibly much later, depending on how the meetings went. He hadn't been apart from Alec for more than a couple of hours since he'd got him home from that cave where he'd been wounded, even if most of their time together was in the company of other people. The thought of having to sleep without him was awful, impossible even to imagine. He'd hoped for at least a couple of hours alone with Alec before leaving, but that looked like it wasn't going to happen; Alec's face was pinched as he returned to the table, and Magnus braced for an apology of why he was needed elsewhere.

"Hey," Alec said softly, crouching and holding on to his hand just above Magnus' knee.

"What is it?"

"I need to go down the Precinct," Alec sighed, raising Magnus' hand to kiss the back of.

"What for?"

"Luke's dealing with an alleged werewolf attack on a Mundane. He's got him in a cell; Luke asked these guys to come here in person, because he's trying to hold off on contacting the Institute."

The issue with Downworlder cell phones being tracked had been resolved when they'd realized the _invitations_ to interviews at the Institute contained a piece of code that tracked everything they were doing. Magnus thought he might always smile at the sight of a young werewolf sat pressed up against a young vampire in front of a laptop arguing good-naturedly about how to reverse the code and send it out as a new update. Though it didn't prevent the mistrust most felt when they had to use their phones.

"The Institute will seize the opportunity to clamp down on us even more," Magnus groaned, covering their hands with his free one. "Is there any truth to it?"

"Don't know yet," Alec sighed. "I think I can avoid him being transferred on a technicality of the law temporarily, but a Mundane is dead; we can't just ignore that. The agreement I had in place with Luke when I was Head allowed us time to investigate without the Clave being notified until we were sure either way. Jarod Rivus will be looking for any way possible to redeem himself—"

"Because of the prisoners we released?"

"Exactly," Alec nodded. "The impact's got to be huge; I can't imagine the conversation went well when he had to report it; how do you explain that you've got escaped prisoners for a prison that wasn't even sanctioned? He'll look an idiot."

"Good," Magnus replied.

"I agree," Alec smiled, standing up again though still holding on to his hand. "But if he's under more pressure to prove himself as Head—"

"He'll be doing it by any means possible," Magnus finished for him.

"Exactly."

"What can I do?" Magnus asked, standing with him.

"Magnus," Alec said, "you're leaving in, what, a couple of hours?"

"But I can still—"

"Magnus," Alec said, smiling harder as he squeezed his hands and stepped a little closer. "You haven't stopped. You've been drawing up agreements for us to present to the Clave, healing everyone who comes through the door—wherever we are. Coordinating half our meetings, and liaising with warlocks just about everywhere. You need to _rest_ , Magnus."

Okay, Magnus amended, perhaps he'd been just as busy as Alec. In fact, it had been hectic for everyone involved leading up to and following the prison break. But that didn't mean he was going to stop fussing over Alec, no matter how affectionate and knowing the smile for him was.

"Maybe I'm more used to it."

"If this works out, no one's ever gonna have to be _used_ to this kind of thing again," Alec retorted, which was the focus of so much they discussed. Everyone involved knew changes couldn't happen overnight, but if they could put the foundations in place for what they hoped would be a coalition amongst the Downworlders and Shadowhunters, perhaps the future for them all would peaceful.

"That is the hope," Magnus smiled, fingers itching to reach out for Alec again, to snatch him away in private if only five minutes. The look on Alec's face said he wouldn't even get that.

"It is," Alec agreed, sighing. "I need to get to the Precinct _now_ , Magnus. We need to—I need to do all I can. Do you think—"

"One day," Magnus replied, smiling as he raised his arm to conjure a portal by their side, "you will be able to conjure one of these by yourself."

"One day, I intend to be the one conjuring a portal to take us to dinner, or on vacation, or _anything_ away from all of this," Alec smiled, reaching out and squeezing his arm again.

"A vacation sounds wonderful," Magnus sighed, reining in the daydream of a few days away for the both of them before it could really start.

"When this is over," Alec said, with promise in his voice.

"Then we should get this over soon."

"Let me know you get there okay?" Alec said, neither of them acknowledging out loud that they'd be spending their evenings apart.

"Let me know when you are home from patrols," Magnus countered, leaning in to kiss him.

"I love you," Alec said softly, leaning in for a second kiss of his own.

Magnus smiled, an ache in his chest for the last time he'd had to watch Alec portal away from him, though tried not to show it. "I love you too."

* * *

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)
> 
> Thank you for reading if you got this far!
> 
> So, a couple of things about this story are noted in the end notes; take a look if you feel like it when you're done reading :) x

"I feel like I've forgotten what this place looks like."

Magnus turned to smile as Alec walked straight across the room once stepping through their portal and sank gratefully down on the couch, head falling back immediately and a sigh blasting from his mouth.

"It has been busy," Magnus agreed, walking across to join him after kicking off his shoes.

"I don't think I even remember the last time we slept more than a couple hours," Alec added, rolling over to press a kiss on Magnus' shoulder, then going when urged as Magnus arranged them so he was on his back, with Alec laid between his legs.

"Not at the same time, anyway."

"Tell me we're gonna have one uninterrupted evening where we're not called to go anywhere," Alec asked softly, nuzzling against his jaw.

"I would; though that hasn't been the case since we arrived back here," Magnus replied, wrapping his arms around Alec's back and raising his head just enough to kiss the top of Alec's.

"You realize we've been back a month now?" Alec said, his words muffled as they were spoken into Magnus' shirt.

"It feels like a few hours."

"Maybe not that short," Alec snorted, raising his head to smile at him.

"Maybe not," Magnus smiled back. "Though it does feel like our time in England was several years ago."

"It's not been that bad," Alec laughed again, leaning in to kiss him.

"That's because you thrive on drama," Magnus retorted, earning him an incredulous eyebrow before Alec leaned to kiss him again.

"You know, I think that might be you."

"No," Magnus disagreed, wriggling a little beneath him to get more comfortable. "I am fairly certain that would be you."

"Magnus," Alec sighed out in protest, then dropped his head back down to tuck into his neck, apparently not planning on adding anything else.

"It has been a productive month, however," Magnus said, threading his fingers together looped around Alec and closing his eyes.

"Pissed off the Institute on a daily basis. Released a load of unfairly imprisoned people. Prevented a ton more from getting illegally arrested for living outside of the so-called _law_ —"

"Which has changed almost every single day we've been back," Magnus pointed out.

"It hasn't; not really," Alec said, shaking his head. "Any sanctions, changes, reorganization of Downworlder areas, agreements, curfews and so on, none of them are valid until approved by the Clave. Doesn't matter how many times Jarod sends out his patrols citing these new laws."

"The Clave would sign off on any of them in a heartbeat if there would be no repercussions," Magnus retorted.

"They might. But they haven't," Alec said. "Mom's not heard about any more than a dozen laws being approved in total. She says they've been inundated with requests though, from all over the place, and are just kind of… sitting on them. I don't know, Magnus; doesn't it still feel to you like they're just… sitting and waiting to see what happens? Normally they move on anything so quickly when they've got even a shred of evidence. But with this?"

"Distancing themselves from their own Institutes if the sanctions they're putting in place are too harsh," Magnus huffed, his fury for the Clave never-ending.

"So if there's an uprising by the Downworlders, but it's only in certain areas, the Clave can deny any knowledge of those Institutes provoking those uprisings," Alec said, talking more to himself than Magnus since they'd had the conversation numerous times. It seemed to be his way of coming to terms with everything that was happening, so Magnus just kissed the top of his head and hummed for him to continue. "They can say they haven't sanctioned anything, and that the Institutes were operating without their knowledge or permission. Can move in, take the credit for things calming down, put new people in place, cover all this stuff up. And the whole thing starts again."

"And to think. There was a time when you would have defended the Clave above everything," Magnus smiled instead, earning a huffed kiss to his neck in answer.

"Proves we're making a difference," Alec said, without commenting on Magnus' teasing. "If Downworlders the world over were just letting all this happen, the Institutes wouldn't be submitting half the requests for implementation of laws they need to control them, because they wouldn't need to make it official to keep the control."

"Institutes aren't questioning why the Clave is taking so long to respond to their requests for these new sanctions?" Magnus asked, imagining Jarod Rivus furiously messaging the Clave for answers, and snorting to himself in amusement for it.

"They're allegedly taking the time to streamline the process. Saying that half the laws coming in from individual Institutes can be applied to everyone," Alec nodded.

"But if they can be applied to everyone—"

"Why haven't they already agreed them?" Alec huffed, lifting his head again to look at him.

"They know we're fighting back, and we're doing it together," Magnus said, answering his own question.

"Exactly. The worst thing that can happen for the Clave, is to have the Downworld going up against them united, pointing out their injustices. Official law approval takes time; it's written into the Accords specifically, that anything impacting the Downworld has to be shown to be beneficial to more than one Institute. By sitting on all these requests—"

"It's like they're just sitting back and watching the chaos unfold," Magnus huffed, wrapping Alec up tighter.

"That's exactly what they're doing. They can only operate within the laws already in place at this time, without, I don't know. Getting their hands dirty."

"Hoping the problems will either fix themselves without direct interference, or all these… incidents, will somehow just stop."

"Same way that when they keep saying they want to _interview_ me yet have no grounds for it, I guess they're hoping that I'll just… I don't know; turn myself in or something."

"Ridiculous."

"It is. Everything about this is."

"If they have too many Downworlders going up against their Institutes because of their treatment of them, the Clave will have to listen," Magnus said, repeating the hope that was driving their plans, torn between the utmost confidence that all their efforts would work, and fear that they would be ignored, and the entire situation made worse.

"Exactly. All we need to do now, is coordinate our discussions with Heads of the Institutes stating our case, document everything to present to them about what's been happening, then we can take it to the Clave directly."

"So we can take some time. One full evening, perhaps, just for ourselves," Magnus added hopefully, nudging for Alec to lean up to kiss him.

"We can. Though I guess there's no guarantees people won't be contacting us," Alec replied, though was already snuggling back down into his arms as though he had no intention of moving.

"I'll put up additional wards."

"It didn't stop Asmodeus getting in," Alec pointed out, unable to disguise the worry about that in his voice. It had been something unspoken between them with everything else that was going on, though as Magnus looked to his side to view the apartment in its new layout and design that had been at Alec's request for _a change_ , the thought of Asmodeus had clearly not been far from either of their minds. Alec must feel so invaded, Magnus thought, again cursing his father under his breath for his intrusion into their home.

"Alec," Magnus sighed, "I'm so sorry—"

"It's not your fault," Alec said immediately, shaking his head and nuzzling against him.

"No, I suppose it isn't. But it is never comfortable to have your home intruded on by someone you would never normally have invited in."

"You think he'll show up here again?" Alec asked, lifting his head to look at him, and that worry written plainly across his face. Magnus swept a hand up his back and leaned up to press a kiss to his forehead.

"I think he'll call on us again if we are of use to him; though I can't imagine what scenario there is that would require him needing our help. He is… very powerful."

"So are you," Alec said, dropping his chin to Magnus' chest.

"Perhaps I have inherited some of his abilities," Magnus replied, grimacing for the truth of it and sighing. "But he is a greater demon, a fallen angel—a prince of hell. His power will always be superior."

"Still not as impressive as someone using their power to help people," Alec retorted, smiling when Magnus looked back at him. "Not as impressive as trying to help people without the idea of getting something in return for it."

"Perhaps," Magnus smiled, his fingers up to play with the back of Alec's hair. "As to your question about him coming here; now that he's been here in the apartment, I have adjusted the wards to block him out as well."

"You can do that?" Alec asked, looking back at him in surprise.

"Of course," Magnus replied. "although admittedly, it is a little... counterproductive, needing an intruder to be _in_ a place before they can be permanently banished from returning to it. It is an old magic; some of the oldest, in fact, which is why it works against all demons—even greater ones. The protection of _home_ is something sacred to all of those with demon blood."

"Maybe because we don't belong anywhere, so we have to protect what we have," Alec replied softly, and Magnus lifted up enough to kiss the sadness from his face until Alec sighed against him and pulled back.

"So. What are we gonna do if we have an entire evening here to ourselves?" Alec asked then, beginning to mouth up his neck.

"You have had so little chance aside from those healing potions and spells to use your magic," Magnus replied, though his fingers had already found their way beneath Alec's shirt.

"Magnus," Alec protested, shaking his head in the crook of his neck, "a night off. No magic, no sanctions, no… none of any of that stuff."

"Then what would you like to do?" Magnus smiled, kissing the top of his head.

Alec raised up enough to kiss him before settling once more against his chest, and nudging Magnus' arms to wrap better around his back. "This," he said, turning his head to kiss Magnus' chest and humming in contentment as he did. "Only this."

* * *

"Alec. You’re no longer welcome here. You're no longer a Shadowhunter. Even if everything you’re standing there accusing me of—and indirectly the _Clave_ of—has any kind of truth to it, what good is your word?" Jarod sneered, looking at Alec with such loathing, Magnus had the urge to cross the gap between them and slap it off his face.

Magnus stood off to the side watching Alec's confrontation with Jarod, adrenalin keeping him on edge after almost two weeks of planning. They'd been met with several surprised faces as they'd made their way into the Institute, yet not one Shadowhunter had stepped forward to block them, leaving Alec and Magnus free to make their way to Jarod in his office.

Magnus had wanted more people to accompany them, while Alec had wanted to come to the Institute on his own. It was the closest they'd come to their first argument since arriving back in New York, finally reaching a compromise and agreeing that Magnus would accompany him, but no one else.

"It’s true," Alec agreed, appearing unaffected by his words, even smiling a little. "But if every Downworlder under the jurisdiction of the New York Institute demands to be heard—protests about the treatment of their people at the hand of the Shadowhunters under your command, the Clave will need to listen. I'm not sure if you've ever taken the time to actually _read_ the Accords—"

"But—"

"Do you think your _segregation_ has prevented us from making contact with other Institutes, other _Downworlders_ outside of New York?" Alec asked with a touch of condescension in his voice. "That when we’re all raising our voices, together, that we won’t be heard? How does it feel to know that _you_ inspired our collaboration with other Downworlders across the world?"

"As the Head of this Institute, any grievances have to come to me first," Jarod countered, seething. "And since I see your efforts here today as all the more reason to—"

"Firstly," Alec said, hands behind his back in their regular clasp, "what efforts? We walked into your Institute, unchallenged, demanding a conversation with you. Not one of your team has stepped forward to ask us to leave, or to arrest us for… whatever it is you're attempting to accuse us of."

"And I will be investigating this mass insubordination the moment I am rid of you," Jarod retorted, glaring at the Shadowhunter stood in the doorway watching them, but making no effort to move.

"And secondly, there is nothing in the law that suggests we have to even raise our complaint _about_ you, _to_ you," Alec smiled, "this is just a courtesy visit to tell you of our intentions. You can attempt to stop us, of course, but you know as well as I do, any Shadowhunter attempting to prevent a Downworlder from contacting the Clave with a peaceful protest against the treatment of their local Institute is in direct violation of the law. Several of them, in fact; do you want me to remind you of them all? Seems like you've forgotten most of them if you even took the time to know them in the first place."

The coordinated, unexpected arrival of unsanctioned Downworlders in Idris to state their complaints directly was the part of their plans that had Magnus most concerned, fearing further imprisonment and silence. Alec did not share that concern at all, seeming gleeful at the idea of the shock on everyone's faces when Downworlders started arriving unannounced.

"You won’t be welcome in Idris," Jarod retorted, but with increasing doubt creeping into his voice. "Or maybe you will be, if you're finally handing yourself over for this investigation you've been evading—"

"Who said anything about me going to Idris?" Alec asked in surprise, and Magnus had to hold in a burst of laughter when Alec lifted his hand, slowly spiraling magic from his palm and playing with it, with Jarod's eyes drawn to it as it spun, unable to look away.

"No _Downworlder_ is allowed in Idris without being summoned or directly invited," Jarod protested. "You keep attempting to tell _me_ the laws—"

"True—"

"I’m sorry, Jarod," Izzy said with fake regret in her voice as she made her way into the office and came to stand beside his desk, extending a thick stack of paperwork in her hand. "I’m afraid I have to return to Idris. I’ve found new evidence that I am obliged to report to the Clave, in view of the Victa attacks. I will take full responsibility for the presence of the Downworlders of New York, and any others who wish to join us."

A loophole in the law that Magnus hadn't known about until Alec had suggested it stated Shadowhunters holding certain positions in Idris—including those of authority within the laboratories—were entitled to bring any guests they chose to Idris, so long as they were responsible for them; the rule didn't stipulate whether those guests were Downworlder, Shadowhunter, or Mundane. So even if the Accords allowing peaceful protests in Idris were conveniently ignored with the sudden arrival of Downworlders, this particular loophole served as a useful backup plan.

Jarod’s eyes fell to the pages in Izzy's hand before back up to her face in defeat, a final protest failing on his lips as he watched her moved to stand beside Alec, and turned back to look at Alec with an element of fear.

"You’re not welcome here," Jarod blurted out, his eyes darting to the Shadowhunters gathering around the doorway to watch, and looking increasingly alarmed as the vast majority started coming in to stand behind Alec.

"No," Alec agreed with an easy smile, "and neither will you be for much longer. I suggest you start packing."

* * *

"A Downworld Cabinet is no longer enough."

Magnus stood back to watch the crowd formed in front of Lydia, a low murmur rumbling to echo up the Institute walls. Lydia held her head high as she scanned over her new team, lingering over some of the faces in recognition, then once more looking towards the back of the control room.

"Given the recent unauthorized sanctions by a number of Institutes against Downworlders across the world, and their unsuccessful implementation," Lydia continued, "it has been decided that the previous method of allowing each Institute to make their own agreements with the Downworlders falling under their area, is ineffective. We are looking to implement a new change, with more equal representation. Shadowhunters and Downworlders working alongside each other as true equals, offering each other guidance and support, to protect our world, and that of the Mundanes. We will no longer be _us_ , and _them_ ; we will be one team. One people. This is an agreement that many of us believe to be long overdue."

Magnus caught her eye for a second and saw her face soften into a smile, giving a sharp nod back. Lydia had been one of the first Shadowhunters Alec had made contact with following their return to New York, reassuring Magnus when he worried that she could be trusted; Magnus was pleased and a little embarrassed at how easily Alec had been proved right.

The coordinated protest by Downworlders descending on Idris had caused chaos, though thankfully that proved to be short-lived. To the surprise of both Alec, and Magnus, a number of Clave representatives in Idris witnessed the arrival of the Downworlders and instead of moving to fight against them, came to stand firmly by their sides. The warlocks already in Idris supporting Marcia Cardoso in her recovery were amongst them, apparently already being viewed with respect by the Shadowhunters living and working there, for their tireless efforts to help.

In the week that followed there were truths and half-truths, and rumors that grew more outlandish by the second before the dust settled, and things started shifting into place. A new reorganizing of the Institutes back to their former teams had returned many friends and family to one another, with numerous ousted Heads reclaiming their positions, and for those Institutes like New York who couldn't invite their Heads back, new ones put in place. Lydia's name had been suggested by Maryse and Robert Lightwood, and she had arrived within a couple of days.

"In order to make this transition as natural, and effective as possible, it has been decided that each Institute will now be maintained by both a Shadowhunter representing the Clave, and a _Downworlder_ representing the Downworld. I may be new to the New York Institute, as many of those now being sent out to head up Institutes are, but I feel particularly fortunate for my own counterpart. I am sure you will join me in welcoming Alec Lightwood on his return."

The previous night as they’d laid in bed together with Alec not able to sleep, he’d voiced concerns about not being accepted back, and how difficult it would be to share the responsibility for leading the Institute when for so long it had been his role alone. He was straddling both sides of their world and still finding his balance doing so; there were Shadowhunters who already saw him as nothing but a Downworlder, and Downworlders who would never accept him as anything but a Shadowhunter, despite him being a warlock.

All the half-threats the Clave had sent to Alec dissolved into nothing. Alec was asked to attend a _meeting_ in Idris with whatever witnesses of his choosing, and the so-called charges against him were dropped barely before they had settled in the meeting chamber. Magnus had stood wedged beside Maryse and Robert during the proceedings with his heart in his mouth, expecting unknown Shadowhunters to sweep in and steal Alec from him, the grip of Maryse's hand in his telling Magnus that she feared the same. But all that had resulted was talk of  _compensation_ for Alec for their treatment of him; they were yet to see any evidence of such compensation, of course, but Magnus would be forever thankful that they were leaving Alec alone. And while there was still obvious suspicion against Alec from some throughout the Shadow World, for the most part, the Clave recognized just how integral Alec had been to organizing the Downworlders, and how important he might be in further agreements.

As Alec had gone over all the things that he feared, Magnus had tried to offer encouragement, by pointing out all the Downworlders who would be relieved that he was back in the Institute taking some of the charge. The proposals for a joint leadership were sound; it was just a question of whether the Clave would stick to their word. It wasn’t something he needed to say out loud to Alec, of course, who’d sighed worriedly and wriggled down the bed to rest his head on Magnus’ chest, settling once he’d wrapped his arms around him.

A louder murmur rose up through the crowd then, and Magnus held his breath as his thoughts returned to the present, watching as Alec walked up the few steps to stand by Lydia’s side, standing equally as proud. To Magnus’ relief, and surely even more so for Alec, that murmur turned into a mixture of cheers and applause, that split Alec’s face into a blushing smile that he didn’t even bother to try masking.

"I once told Lydia that we should run an Institute together," he said, his shoulders relaxing, and even looking over to Magnus with a brief wink. "This is, thankfully, not quite how I envisioned it happening."

Jace, along with the three Shadowhunters nearest to him snorted with laughter; Alec smiled in their direction again then cleared his throat. Magnus smiled back, nudging into Izzy stood next to him, and thought how very fitting it was to have all the people that belonged in the New York Institute home, letting a fond smile sweep over Clary stood beside Jace, and seeking out other familiar faces thinking how good it was to see them; even Raj.

"Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be looking for your suggestions. So many of you know New York, and all its occupants, better than anyone; your input is going to be crucial. We will have a period of adjustment as we reorganize ourselves, but we will emerge better, and stronger for it. We are one team, one _people_ ; our goal for the future is to ensure we don’t forget that.

"We have a lot of work to do here. All of us. We have relationships to rebuild, as well as trust. New agreements that will take a lot of negotiation and time. But we will achieve this, together, as a team. It is time for the Shadow World to come together, to achieve our common goals, and protect one another, as well as the Mundanes. I look forward to working with all you," Alec added, smiling as his eyes swept out over those assembled for him, and making Magnus' heart flutter in excitement for seeing it. "It's really, really good to be back."

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> Here's some notes:
> 
> 1) we're not quite done here; there's still a short epilogue to follow.
> 
> 2) this was never ever going to be a story containing wing!kink. It isn't something I've even got around to thinking of writing for Malec yet; I've only been writing Malec for perhaps... 6 months? 7? Ish? So to those of you who were hoping for wink!kink of any form, sorry, but that was never on the cards.
> 
> 3) this was also deliberately a mature rating rather than an explicit one, for two reasons. Firstly, because I've written a lot of explicit Malec of late, and secondly, I didn't think it was all that necessary to wedge a ton of sex into a somewhat complicated story to tell. So again; if you wanted to see more smut in this, it was never planned to be written with that in mind.
> 
> 4) I know; there are LOTS of unanswered questions here! Asmodeus, further development of Alec getting used to being a warlock and his role at the Institute; Magnus and his role within this new 'version' of the alliance within the Shadow World, and what it's like to have a partner that he knows is for life and is his equal and loves him just as hard - and how he must feel about his father doing what he did/how that makes him feel about himself... and that's not even talking about this new alliance itself and what chaos that is going to bring as they try to make it work! Believe me, there are tons of other things to explore in this story. 
> 
> I wanted to focus principally on 1) Alec disappearing and coming back immortal/Magnus' fear of losing him, 2) Alec/Magnus beginning to get used to that immortality/his new magic, and 3) the political backdrop that came in the aftermath of this forced immortality. I have ideas for where else I'd like to take this if I get around to writing future parts for this story, which right now I'd like to, but will have to see. What I'm saying is, there are lots of loose ends here that are deliberate, because I have a lot more story to tell :)
> 
> 5) thank you, as ever, for reading :)
> 
> x


	7. Epilogue

"Magnus. You didn't tell me about—what are you doing?"

Magnus spun from where he'd been preparing a potion to find Alec looking down at him with a half-eaten apple in one hand, and a book wedged open in the other.

"A last minute request," Magnus smiled as Alec's eyes fell to the flask he was using, and he shoved the apple in his mouth to wave a careless hand behind him, summoning a chair.

"For?" Alec asked, carefully marking the page of his book with a scrap of paper from the desk Magnus was working at, then putting it on the floor to his side.

"Maia."

The relaxed expression on Alec's face morphed into immediate concern. "Why? She's not sick, is she?"

"No," Magnus replied, smiling in reassurance, "nothing like that."

"Then?"

"She's just having difficulty sleeping with her upcoming exams."

"This will help her sleep?" Alec asked, nodding towards the flask as he finished his apple, snapping his fingers to get rid of the core.

Magnus smiled at the gesture, holding back a retort about magic not being an excuse for laziness, then nodded in answer. "I hope so."

"And it's just... that's all? It's just she can't sleep? It's nothing more—"

"Alexander," Magnus smiled, leaning in to kiss him, "Maia is fine. Everyone is fine."

"Maybe we should have waited before coming away," Alec sighed, his shoulders slumping in doubt.

"If we waited indefinitely for everything to be _okay_ , then we would be waiting an eternity," Magnus pointed out, leaning in for a quick kiss. "And just because we technically  _have_ an eternity now, doesn't mean I want to wait that long to be alone with you."

"Well. When you put it like that," Alec said, his face softening from concerned back to relaxed, putting Magnus' mind at ease that he wouldn't suddenly be demanding they go home.

"We will enjoy our vacation, then will go home to deal with... everything else," Magnus told him; perhaps a little firmer than he'd intended the words to come out. "Lydia, and everyone else, can cope in our absence for one short month." 

"And that's it?" Alec asked, nodding toward the flask as he squeezed his thigh. "No more potions, spells, or anything else?" 

"None."

"You're the one who complained I wouldn't be able to leave the Institute behind on our vacation, Magnus," Alec said in teasing reproach. "We've been here three days, and already—"

"It's the one and only thing," Magnus assured him, covering Alec's hand with his own. "I promise. You will have my undivided attention for the rest of the time that we are here. And forever afterward, of course."

 _Here_ , meaning the sprawling complex they were staying at on an island in the middle of nowhere, with beautiful views of the sea in every direction, fresh seafood available from tiny family-run restaurants for every meal, and no one else around unless they wanted company. They would change location, of course, making their lazy way across numerous islands and cities before they headed back to New York, refreshed and ready to work again. But for now, _here_ meant away from all of that, and all the difficulties they'd faced over the last few months. There was so much to go back to, and so much about their work that felt like it might never be finished. Magnus smiled at the thought of the long stretch of days in front of them, and again squeezed Alec's hand.

"It is for Maia," Alec said in reluctant acceptance. "Izzy's helping her revise. I think she wants to study something now."

"Your sister does enjoy learning," Magnus smiled, leaning in to kiss him before turning back to the potion and adding the final ingredient, watching it sink in and begin to fizz.

"I've been _learning_ ," Alec said then, squeezing Magnus' leg once more to get his attention, then bending to retrieve his book.

"Oh?"

"How much longer do you need for this?" Alec asked, nodding towards the flask. Magnus gave it a final shake, watched it settle, and when satisfied put a stopper in, then flared his fingers, sending it directly to Maia's apartment as she'd requested.

"None. You are very insistent for my attention this morning," Magnus added, leaning over to kiss him. "Not that I'm complaining, of course—"

"Because you didn't tell me about _this_ ," Alec said, opening the book again and tapping his finger repeatedly over a picture. Even from viewing upside down Magnus could tell it was a drawing of a couple entwined, with sparks of what was probably supposed to be magic surrounding them and flaring outwards.

" _This_?"

"Yes, Magnus," Alec replied, raising his head to look at him, a glint in his eye and a smile creeping across his face.

"Sex magic."

"Not _sex_ magic," Alec said, shaking his head, " _joined_ magic. Magic shared between two warlocks when they—"

"Have sex," Magnus finished for him, his stomach giving an excited jolt.

"Exactly," Alec replied, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me there was a magic we could share when we… do _that_."

"It's supposed to be very good. Dangerous, even, for how addictive it can be if a person doesn't keep themselves in check."

"Supposed to be?"

"Yes."

"Meaning, you've never tried it with anyone else before?" Alec asked, the glint in his eye deepening, and the heat in his look making Magnus' heart begin to skip.

"No, Alexander. Given the nature of the magic involved, it requires an element of trust. It is not something to be performed by those who are anything but… meaningful to one another."

"Meaningful, huh?" Alec repeated, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

"Yes."

Alec nodded to himself in thought, his smile curving up a little more, then he was closing the book around his finger to keep his place, standing and pulling Magnus to his feet, then tugging him along to their bedroom.

* * *

"It's so beautiful here," Alec said as Magnus came to stand beside him looking out over the beach from the balcony of their latest vacation apartment, watching couples dance beneath the twinkling lights of lamps as the music drifted up to them.

"It is," Magnus agreed, taking a deep breath of the salty air, a sense of calm drifting through him that he'd enjoyed more in the time they'd been away than he had in months. It was bittersweet that they only had two days more to enjoy of their vacation, returning to New York and likely both immersing themselves in work immediately.

"I'd like to come back here," Alec added, draping an arm around him to pull Magnus closer. "Not right away, of course. But in the future sometime."

"If you like it that much, perhaps we can buy a property here so that we have somewhere that will always be ours," Magnus suggested, already imagining the perfect place.

"I'd like that a lot," Alec said, smiling as he turned Magnus in his arms, and for a few minutes they said nothing else, turning together in time with the music from the beach beneath them.

"Are you ready to return to the Institute?" Magnus asked, hating to break the quiet between them but wanting to be sure Alec really wanted to return. They needed to, of course, neither one of them willing to abandon their duties—particularly with everything still seeming so _new_ with the arrangements they'd carefully put in place.

"I am," Alec nodded, leaning in to kiss him. "I mean, I don't want to leave here either, but—"

"There is nothing stopping us from coming away again in a few months."

"Sounds good," Alec agreed, bringing them to a stop as he wrapped Magnus up in a hug. "Let's do that."

"We will," Magnus replied, sweeping his hand up his back and dropping his head in Alec's neck, already half-planning some locations he thought Alec would love.

"I'm gonna propose," Alec said then, blurted out of nowhere, and such an odd thing for Magnus to have to hear, that he was sure he'd misheard him. But when he looked up, there was nothing but seriousness on Alec's face to say that he meant it.

"Alec—"

"I don't mean, right now," Alec said, smiling, and as he ducked to kiss Magnus caught the slight blush on his cheeks. "And I don't necessarily mean our next vacation either."

"Okay…"

"I just wanted you to know, I'm gonna do it," Alec said, raising his hand to cup his cheek as he smiled at him with such love in his eyes, Magnus felt like the breath had been stolen from his lungs. "I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about it—thinking about how to do it; what to say, where we'll be, what kinda rings we're gonna want. Everything."

"I see," Magnus replied, that calm feeling that had seeped through him a couple of minutes earlier replaced with such a sense of _belonging_ for hearing Alec's words, that he couldn't find any of his own.

"I want you forever, Magnus," Alec smiled, raising his other hand to join the first as he tilted Magnus' face and leaned in for a sweet kiss that Magnus closed his eyes for, though thought he might ruin for how hard he was smiling.

"I want that too," he assured him, squeezing at his waist.

"And we get to _have_ forever," Alec continued, kissing him again, then wrapping him up in a hug once more. "Married or not married. So I figured, I've got time to get proposing _right_."

Magnus thought about saying how any proposal Alec gave to him would be perfect because of what it meant; that he would stay with him indefinitely.

"Whenever you are ready, Alexander," was what he said instead though, smiling once more into Alec's neck.

"Of course, the wedding's all yours," Alec added, kissing the side of his hair. "I'll help, obviously. But I think maybe that's maybe more your thing than mine."

Alec was right; Magnus was already dreaming up locations, cakes, and clothing, all the years he'd never thought he'd get to have a wedding apparently spent collating ideas for what he wanted for one, just in case.

"I love you," Magnus said then, soft, and urgent, and pulling back just enough to look Alec in the eye as he said it. _Forever_ was stood right in front of him, smiling back as though he thought Magnus was _his_ world, and Magnus' heart raced with excitement at the thought of it.

"I love you too," Alec smiled, kissing him once again, then turning Magnus so he could hold him in his arms, hooking his chin over his shoulder, as together they watched the last of the dying sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)
> 
> For the very few people apparently interested in this story, I've added back in a few bits of dialogue that hint to what the next story arc was going to be for this.
> 
> Thank you for commenting/kudos-ing if you have; even for the stories we enjoy telling, sometimes it's those things that make the difference between wanting to give up or not.
> 
> x 
> 
>  
> 
> **original note**
> 
> If you're interested, here's the beginning of part four that I'd started writing but then stopped in a petulant moment of, 'what's the point in writing anything if no one's going to read it?'. It starts with Alec outside the police precinct at the end of chapter 5 of Invicta. The intention was for there to be an overlap of this current story arc and the next, and for that next story to be told entirely from Alec's point of view:
> 
> _Alec glanced over the front of the police instinct once through Magnus' portal and was immediately hit by a wall of reminders. Fury at all the unsanctioned missions he'd allowed himself to be a part of in the past, utter horror at the catastrophe that Clary had seemed to be when forcing her way into their world, and the beginning of a something with Magnus; even if it hadn't been obvious back then just what that something was._
> 
> _His world wasn't just different from those memories, it was unrecognisable. Falling in love, heading the Institute, learning to be true to himself. And then all that he'd known being snatched from him in a cold dark cave he only had glimpses of memories of. Waking to Magnus clinging on to him tightly, and a new essence charging through his blood._
> 
> _Alec squared his shoulders as though to shove those memories away and made his way into the building, silencing the continuous stream of thoughts that was his new magic, and new reality, blanching at the vaguely-familiar woman sitting at a nearby desk and almost turning straight back around._


End file.
